


Graveyard Shift

by Ellectrix



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - No Sgrub Session, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Bloodlust, Cabin Fic, Cabins, Character Death, Character Turned Into Vampire, Dead People, Drama, Eridan's fucking murderous, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, High School, Humanstuck, Kidnapping, M/M, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexual Tension, Temporary Character Death, Terezi is delusional, The vampire hunters are brutal man, Torture, Vampire Bites, Vampire Hunters, Vampire Turning, Vriska is a Bitch, fucking metal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-09 09:46:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 82,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14713739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellectrix/pseuds/Ellectrix
Summary: I've been waiting for someoneTo find me and become a part of meI've been waiting for you to come hereAnd kill me and set me freeI've been waiting for...Blood flavor is so metallicIts smell makes me go fanaticTexture that I find in youIs as thick as viscous glueMy senses have become so keenWith all I touch and all I seeThere's an iron smellOf blood in the airAnd now I see it everywhere_"What the hell are you?" You finally spoke, croaking out each syllable almost painfully with how dry your throat was.His grin only widened, slowly sitting up, hand still gripping your arm. "I might just have to eat you instead."





	1. First Bites

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Opening the atmospheric music in another tab would probably be best while reading. Listening is completely optional though.))

_I finally see you on the floor_

_Your heart's not beating anymore_

_My lust for you just cannot wait_

_Your skin, it tastes like chocolate_

     - [The one, Elena Siegman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFEZuQYOoj0)

 

He was the campus prince.  
  
You were a common student whose face blended with everyone else.  
  
Today was supposed to be a normal day.  
  
It wasn't.

___x___

  
[Wednesdays were the days you visited the graveyard.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK0EP1sntOM) With flowers in hand- daisies, petunias, lavender and red roses, your mother's favourite flowers- you had entered the gloomy, run down place just outside the edge of the town limits.  
  
It was a particularly cloudy day when you had decided to visit. Just in case of a downpour, you brought along an umbrella to shield yourself with if it ever did come down to that. But in the past few weeks, you've been getting dreary weather like this lately. Not that it mattered, you spent most of your time indoors anyway, and the cool chill around your home was much appreciated as opposed to the scorching sun. Let's just say you aren't a big fan of summer and is more of a hibernating creature in the winter.  
  
With a tug, you pulled your zip-up hoodie closed, shivering only slightly. It seemed that there was enough temperature difference from the air outside to the air you breathe out to warrant little puffs of white air to be visible. Still, you trudged forward over the uphill incline to reach the mostly abandoned graveyard, it's bent metal fences easily coming into view. Upon further inspection, the black paint on the fences was clearly chipped and peeling off from time.

Beyond the fence, one you could easily bypass by climbing over, was hundreds of gravestones, some worn and falling apart, a few nameless ones, and others still pristine and kept together by other visitors who manage to take out time from their day to visit the dead.

One of the more kept together graves was your mother's. It was farther into the graveyard, the part that was more wooded and entered the entrance of the forest. It was easily identifiable, from afar, white granite headstone gleaming and standing tall among crumbling and defaced others. You remember the day you came to visit only to find the headstone spray painted with obnoxious graffiti. You had to run all the way back home to grab a bucket of water, some cleaning supplies, and a towel. You spent hours on your knees in the dirt in front of her gravestone, trying your best to clean out the disrespectful depictions of phallic objects from its surface. God, you hate humanity. Eridan's genocidal tendencies were starting to make sense to you.  
  
This time around though, it was clean, with even a slight gleam to it. But that was probably just your imagination.  
  
You stood in front of her grave, crouching down to place the flowers inside the tiny vase you've brought out to the graveyard long ago. Once that was done. You procured a lighter from the depths of your jean pockets and lit the incense perpendicular to the vase of flowers.

It didn't take long for the scent of buttercups to fill your senses, a sense of comfort settling inside the chambers of your heart. With a sigh, you sat down cross-legged in front of her gravestone, smiling softly to yourself. And just like any Wednesday, you began talking about how your week has been so far when a noise caught your attention.

Being one of the few people who still visit the graveyard, it was easy to catch small noises around the forested area. You could hear every footstep crunching on crisp, dead leaves. Hear every note the birds sang from somewhere deeper within the wooded place.  
  
You had rolled your eyes. If you were correct, the noise you heard was one of a moan. You're honestly not surprised if stupid teenagers thought a romantic rendezvous in an abandoned graveyard was a smart idea. It was a secluded place where they were unlikely to get interrupted for doing  _those_ types of things. But when you're here, trying to have a respectful conversation with your dead mother, you sure as hell are going to interrupt whoever it was making those noises, despite what you might walk in on. Shame on them for doing nasty things in a place of solitude.

With quick steps, you were up on your feet and following the noise to the nearest mausoleum, frown deepening when you slowly realized that the sounds were one made in agonizing pain.  
  
You stood frozen at the entrance, staring down at the metallic knob covered with what looks like freshly drying blood. Your heart jumped to your throat and you had to fight it back down with a big gulp of cold air. You considered your options in front of you.

A), You could simply turn around and pretend you never heard anything, to begin with, and go straight home, cutting your visit shorter than it usually would be. Of course, you'll say goodbye to your mother first before leaving.  
  
Or  
  
B), Open the door and face whatever was inside the mausoleum, perhaps an injured person that needs immediate medical help?  
  
You've never been one to abandon people when they clearly needed help. So, steeling yourself, you grip the other handle, the one that wasn't crusted with dried blood, and slowly twisted the knob, pushing it ever so slowly, the loud squeaking it made, made you cringe a little.  
  
Before you can even step into view, an alarmed voice shouted out, "who's there?" You freeze on the spot at the voice. It was one you recognized. Of course, you would recognize it. He practically never shuts up when you're in school, you're very familiar with his voice even if you wished you weren't.

[Finally taking a step inside, your eyes immediately dart over to the slumped body at the corner of the room, hidden only slightly by the tomb that sat squarely in the middle of the mausoleum.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urReAfXiWoI)

Again, you feel your whole body paralyzed, your feet seemingly permanently stuck on the ground you stood upon. Your eyes locked with his, a first glance at what was behind those stupid aviators he constantly wore. Glowing red looked back at you, a sense of danger prickling at the back of your neck and making your hairs stand on end. It felt like your whole body was screaming for you to run away, but you were stuck in place. Like going into an operation completely conscious but not being able to do a thing about it. The fear felt like choking, yet you stood there, eyes never wavering from his.  
  
"Vantas. Karkat Vantas, right?" He managed to gasp out, and you were snapped out of your trance. Approaching to get a better look at him indicated that he seemed to be suffering from a wound in his abdomen, blood soaking his white band t-shirt as he put a hand over it, trying to stop the bleeding.  
  
"What happened to you?" You breathed out, surprised at your own lack of profanity. Something about the situation made you feel like that was unnecessary and repetitive. You were too caught up in what you’re seeing in front of you to even register that he knew your name.  
  
He simply grunted in response and attempted to shift his position, only to wince in pain and grind his teeth together. "The fuck does it look like to you? If you're just gonna stare at me, you might as well fuck off."  
  
In a moment, you found your body had started moving on its own before your mind can process what you were doing. You had dropped your backpack and slid your hoodie off, rushing to his side and wrapping the piece of clothing around where the puncture wound was, just tight enough to stop the bleeding. "C'mon. I can take you home, my house isn't that far away. Then I can call an ambulance." You found yourself saying.

He hissed through his gritted teeth when you made him put his left arm around you and while your arms went to his sides and hauled him upwards. "No, don't call an ambulance. I'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound. I'll be fine." 

You rolled your eyes at him as you helped him hobble out of the mausoleum, leaving your backpack atop the tomb. You can go fetch it later. For now, you have more pressing issues to attend to. "Like hell am I letting you bleed out and die on my couch. I'm calling 911 as soon as I can get you settled in. I know jack shit about medical shit so I can't help you on my own."  
  
He seemed about to protest at this, only for his words to die in favour of groaning in pain when he stepped a particular way. "Holy fuck don't tell me you've also got a fucking sprained ankle. What the shit were you doing to sustain this much damage, Strider? I knew you were stupid but I didn't know you were  _this_ mind-meltingly stupid. What the hell happened?" You suddenly found yourself spouting, your nerves getting the best of you and making you ramble on a bit.  
  
He didn't answer you, instead leaning all his weight against and panting quietly you as you walked in the middle down the empty road. No cars ever came in or out of Skaia very often so you were confident in following the white lines of the road ahead of you.

The two of you simply went on like that for a while, and you can occasionally hear the blonde mutter to himself in a string of words too fast for you to understand. You think he's rambling about the most useless shit since you heard the word 'hot shit' in the same sentence as 'corn maze' at one point. Or 'sexy presidential candidate' and 'sex on the beach' along with 'sandy ass crack'. You tuned him out after a while.

Like you had said yourself, it didn't take long for you to reach your home. It was one of the houses that were further away from the rest of the residential areas and stood almost in the middle of the woods. It only ever took a five-minute walk, but with a wounded Strider by your side, it took about ten more minutes to get to your front door.  
  
The house itself wasn't too bad. It was a normal house that could house a family of four. The only problem was that you lived alone. You've lived alone for a very long time without anyone noticing and you refrained from talking too much about it with friends. Only a select few know that you've been taking care of yourself since you were fifteen, paying the bills for the house on your own with the combined money from your parents' savings account they left for you, along with your shitty job as a cash register at the local cafe.  
  
Fishing around for your keys in one of your jean pockets once more, you opened the door and stumbled inside, letting the blonde crumple right on the couch. You cursed when you realized that you left your phone inside your backpack.

But your eyes quickly shifted to the home phone on the kitchen counter just across the room. "Alright fucker. Let me get you to a hospital to get you proper treatment." You hissed, acting like this was a huge bother to you. Which it was, but this is the most excitement you've gotten into years so you're not as sour about the whole situation as you let on.

He growled a low guttural noise that made you pause in your dialling of the phone number to look up at him. There it was again, that sense of danger when he narrowed his crimson red eyes into slits, glaring a hole into you. "I said. Don't. Call. A fucking. Ambulance.  _I'm fine_. Just takes a little bit to heal, as soon as the-"  
  
He suddenly cuts himself short, looking away and biting his lip, expression guilty. Like he was just about to say something you weren't supposed to know. "As soon as the what, Strider?" You demanded, putting your hands on your hips and trying to look as patronizing as you can with your short stature. You willfully ignored the goosebumps on your arms.  
  
"Nothing. Not like you'd believe me anyway. Not like this anyways." He drawled, eyes cringing in pain when he tried to shift to a sitting position on the couch all by himself.

"Really? Fucking try me, asshole." You retorted, moving closer to him and pushing him back down on the couch. "And stop moving so fucking much. My hoodie is only a temporary hold before you start bleeding out again. Which reminds me, I have a call to make-"  
  
As soon as you were about to turn away to continue dialling the number you intended to, his hand shot straight out and grabbed you by the wrist in a vice grip. His gaze on you was as intense, making your breath hitches involuntarily when you stared back for too long. "Look, if you're so concerned, just fucking do what I tell you and I'll be fine."  
  
You bite your lip, but you feel compelled to do what he said. When his grip slackens, you realize he's left a bruising ring around your arm. You clench your hands around the phone until your knuckles were white to hide the trembling in them. "Alright. Fuck. Jesus, what the hell do you want me to do?"  
  
He simply smirked, and you can't fathom how he's able to be so smug at a time like this. "Got apple juice? I'd like some apple juice." You stared at him for a moment, expression dumbfounded before shifting to get what he asked for.

After sifting through your pantry, you found a box of apple juice with a straw glued to the back and went back over to offer it to him. He takes it with ease, grinning. It's the most expressive you've seen him be. "Hell yeah. Thanks, Vantas."

You take a moment to take a peek outside the window above your couch only to see that it was already raining pretty hard outside. You can just retrieve your bag back when the rain stops. If it does persist all night, you could always put it off until morning. Being a little late to homeroom wasn’t that big of a deal.

This time, he picked up on the fact that he called him by his surname. "Wait, how do you even know my name?" You inquired, an edge to your voice you did not mean to have. Something about the other male was setting you off. 

You tentatively took a seat on the other couch across from him, watching him carefully rip off the straw from the box and tear it open before stabbing it right into the small foil in the top part of the box. His movements were fluid, and somehow, you can't seem to take your eyes off of him. You only snapped out of it as soon as he spoke once again, eyes lifting to his face. It's so unusual to see him without his shades. Perhaps it's one of the things setting him on edge.  
  
"You're in most of my classes, right? I'm not oblivious to the world. Your name is right below mine." He casually answered, voice cool and even, as if he doesn't have a gaping wound in his stomach.  
  
The lack of any action to help him with his wounds was really putting him on edge. Perhaps that's it? But something in your head was telling you to be afraid, very afraid, to run or hide. You don't understand the lingering fear making your stomach twist and turn. Something about him was just... unnatural. You can’t pinpoint it.  
  
You abruptly stood up once again. "Seriously. At least let me fucking try to bandage you up? Let me get the first aid kit-" He cuts you off by sighing dramatically. You're starting to get really ticked off.

"I told you I'll be fine. Just let me crash for a few hours and then I'll be out of your hair. I'll be pirouetting out of that shit real quick like some ballerina performing in the play 'Nutcracker' with thousands of people watching. I'll pirouette so hard the masses will be standing in a permanent standing ovation the whole time on I'm on that stage that is your hair. It'll be the quickest fucking show they've ever seen but they'll fucking love it. So much so that they'll be throwing roses on my way out. Shit wouldn’t even know what hit them it’s so fast." You stared at him, eyes slowly narrowing. You opted to ignore that shittingly weird as fuck analogy.

  
"Fine. If you die, I'm hiding your dead corpse under the floorboards. Like shit am I gonna come forward if there's a chance I could be a suspect to your death." You muttered, strolling into the hallway in the general direction of your bedroom. "I'm gonna go take a nap. Try not to fucking die on my couch you tone deaf ass canoe."  
  
"Nice insult, Vant _ass_." He called after you.

 

___x___

  
[Hours later, you roll out of bed to the ringing of your alarm clock.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdIYVXCfrQM) Your alarm tone was set to the opener of 'the fresh prince of bel air', something you wouldn't admit in front of anyone else.  
  
With a grunt of annoyance, you rolled out of bed and quickly turned off your alarm. Memories of what happened earlier flood back to your mind and you reluctantly leave the warm covers of your blanket, slipping on your slippers to check on Strider.

Checking on your alarm clock, you find out that it says it's already six fifty-three in the evening. Last you checked it, was right after school around three pm. Meaning you probably fell asleep around four to five, leaving you with either one to two hours of sleep. Not too bad. But it'd probably take a shittingly long time for you to go back to sleep later in the night.  
  
Strolling from the hallway that contained too many doors that led to empty rooms, you emerge back into the living room with your open concept kitchen. It's already dark outside, plunging the whole house in darkness if it wasn't for the dim lights you've put all around the house. They were orange in colour, giving your home a relaxing ambience.  
  
On the couch was the blond fuck head, with his eyes closed, expression peaceful. There doesn't seem to be any blood leaking on the floor so it's safe for you to approach and assume that he's just asleep. How he's still alive with the amount of blood he seemingly lost earlier, you don't know.  
  
Carefully and quietly, you leaned over, examining his facial features. He was gorgeous up close, so you weren't all that surprised with how popular he was around the school.

Dave Strider had always seemed like the epitome of cool. You mostly tried to ignore his existence around the campus, but that was kind of hard with how loud he was with the other girls and guys that naturally gravitated towards him. He was the unspoken king of the school.  
  
You? You were just an honour student with a scholarship whose tanned face blended with everyone else. You were nothing special, and you liked it that way. You liked staying on a low profile with a few friends to enjoy the rest of your high-school years. You were a junior. Just one more year and you're off to college.  
  
You bit of your lower lip, you realized you've been staring at his face, while being uncomfortably close, for much longer than appropriate. You gulped down the lump in your throat and force yourself to look away. Your eyes land on his feet and you suddenly feel compelled to check on his sprained ankle.  
  
Quietly, you shifted to sit at the edge of the armrest where his feet were perched, hanging loosely at the end. You carefully pulled the denim up around his left ankle, frowning when you found that there was no sign of having been sprained or broken at all. No bruised skin or any hint of purple or green hues. Your guts twisted inside your stomach, a sense of dread weighing your whole body down.  
  
You shifted back to his torso, hands hovered over the bloodied hoodie you hand lent him. Fear lurched to the forefront of your head. How would you react if you did indeed find what you suspect? Do you even really want to confirm it? You close your eyes for a moment, making a silent decision inside your head.

With cautious movements, you undid the tight knot of fabric, pushing it away from his body without waking the other up. So far so good.  
  
Your lips were dry, and you lick it to get it wet, hands trembling lightly. You grit your teeth and clench your hands again, taking a moment to stabilize it before continuing, taking the edge of his bloodied shirt in between your hands.  
  
With a shuddering breath, you pulled the piece of fabric up, eyes widening at your discovery.  
  
Suddenly, a hand grips your wrist once again and moving your eyes, you make contact with red glowing eyes in the dark once again. Your flight or fight response was suddenly turned on, yet once again, you felt paralyzed, like your whole body had suddenly turned to stone. You barely even registered the loud thumping of your heart and the persistent buzzing and ringing in your ears. All your body was telling you to do was  ** _run_**.  
  
His eyes had a steely quality to them, and although he smirked and said things to keep it light, you know you've crossed a line. "Undressing me already, Kitten? You haven't even taken me out to dinner yet." He drawled, obviously purposefully prolonging his speech. “I’m not surprised. Half the school population seems to want to do the same thing. I don’t blame you.”  
  
You couldn't offer a single response, mind seemingly stuck on the discovery you've made.

He looks you up and down as he pulled his shirt back down. "I wouldn't mind a one night stand with you, honestly. You're pretty charming, I'll give you that Vantas." He purred, eyes locking onto your own once he was done giving you a once over. You couldn't care less about that at the moment.

"What the hell are you?" You finally spoke, croaking out each syllable almost painfully with how dry your throat was. You're well aware of the scratchy quality of your voice, tinged with fear.

His grin only widened, slowly sitting up, hand still gripping your arm. Suddenly, he pulled you down with him on the couch, your body loosely falling to his lap, yet your eyes never left his. It's like you _couldn't_. As if you had no control over your body anymore. Fear spiked inside you and it took all of your power not to cry at that moment. You were so very very afraid.  
  
It's like you were at the funeral at fourteen years old once again.

Like when you stood alone inside an empty home and the silence could cut through steel.

"Hey Kitkat, you never offered me dinner. I'm getting hungry and I haven’t eaten  _all_ day." He droned on, cupping your cheek with his free hand and bringing your faces so close that you breathed the same air as him. "I might just have to eat you instead."  
  
It would've been incredibly sexual and sexy if you didn't have the sinking feeling that he was being literal with his words. And when his sclera turned jet black and his teeth slowly protruded fangs, you know he meant the words he whispered to you. Yet you couldn't muster the strength to struggle against him.  
  
It's like you've already accepted your fate. Like you've always known you were going to get to this moment. Like this was your purpose all along.  
  
You closed your eyes, those glaringly intense ruby red finally disappearing. And everything around you was plunged into darkness.  
  
But you could still feel everything.

You could feel his hot breath on your skin, just below your jaw, where your neck meets your head. You could feel the texture of his tongue as he drags it across the sensitive skin there, the heat making you flinch momentarily before going slack in his arms once more.

You could feel his hand around your wrist, guiding it to rest around his shoulders before continuing to glide down your form, setting itself down on your waist. You could feel his other hand supporting your head, warm fingers teasing the nape of your neck.  
  
Then you hiss as when pinpricks sink into your skin. You could feel the life being sucked out of you. Feel the warm droplets of blood roll down past your collar bone. And only moments after, you feel his tongue trace the same path of the droplet before sinking his teeth into you once more.  
  
Your body has never felt weaker than it does right now.  
  
It felt like it dragged on for hours, but you couldn't get yourself to care.  
  
It felt like-  
  
A dream.

___x___

  
You had accidentally let him fall back once you finished feeding, his head making a loud  _thump!_ noise as soon as it hit the floor. You bit your lower lip guiltily and sighed, easily picking up the boy's small form.

The guilt that wedged itself inside your gut threatens to spill over and spread, but you manage to keep control of it. You were on strict orders not to feed on unwilling participants from Dirk, but then again, he wasn’t completely  _against_ being fed on. He could’ve put a fight, made you feel even more terrible about what you’ve done, but he hadn’t. It’s more of a dubious consent. Maybe Dirk can let you off easy this time when you explain what had happened. Plus, it’s not like he’ll remember this encounter anyways.

  
You don't entirely regret the encounter either. He had been so cooperative, unlike the others you've had the displeasure of feeding on in the far past (Which will never be mentioned again as long as you have a say in it). And he didn't taste bad.  
  
You might even go as far as to say that he's the best catch you've had so far.  
  
He tasted like chocolate.

___x___

 

[You woke up somewhat fatigued.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32UheuDu040) It was bright outside, golden rays of the sun filtering in and blinding you with its brilliance. Seems like you forgot to close the blinds last night. Odd, that’s usually the first thing you do before you go to sleep to avoid this exact situation from happening. You hate the sun.

For a moment, a flicker of something bubbled up to the surface of your mind. Like a distant memory. You tried to reach back into your memory about what happened last night but… you come up with nothing. It’s just a cloud of black in your head.

But you do remember Strider. You remember the peculiarity that was his wounds. Well, lack thereof. You remember pulling his shirt up and finding porcelain white skin, missing an ugly gash on his side. You’ll have to find him and ask him about it today.

Or maybe you won’t. He’s always constantly surrounded by people. The ‘cool clique’. You doubt there will ever be a time where the two of you would interact once again. You’ll just forget what happened.

That’s what people did when something outside the logical comprehension of their mind happens, right? Maybe you had been wrong in the first place. Maybe you just dreamt that up while you were napping. Your life has been so painfully boring that you were creating illusions of impossible things to make up for it. So much so that you were confusing reality with your dreams.

Maybe, his wound wasn’t as severe as you had thought it to be. Maybe the stress of the situation just pushed you to think it was worse than it really is. Maybe his leg actually wasn’t hurt in the first place, after all, you never checked before that night. He never confirmed having any problems with walking either, you just made that assumption after one painful expression on his face when he stepped on that leg.

Although, you do feel weaker than usual and there’s an ache in your neck that you can’t get rid off. It seems like there’s nothing wrong when you looked at the mirror though.

So you went on with your daily morning routine, but deep in the pit of your stomach, you feel like something is majorly wrong. It gives you anxiety, but you fight it back, chasing the thoughts to the very back of your mind.

Once you were all dressed up, your usual hoodie in the laundry- you still don’t know how you’re going to get those stains out- you made a detour to the cemetery. There, you picked up your backpack, wrinkling your nose in distaste at the bloody spot on the concrete that Dave had left from the previous day. It was dark, almost black. That’s never going to go away and people will wonder what happened.

There was a little curious voice in your head that was also curious as to what exactly happened to Strider, why he was bloody, and where his shades were. You never did get to ask.

But it seems that those are questions that will never be answered. And you’re completely fine with that.

That’s what you kept telling yourself on the way to the school anyway. But seeing the tuff of blond hair among a sea of black hair and brunettes, your heart skips a beat.

What was wrong with you? Your friend, Terezi, answers everything for you.

The first period just finished and although none of you were supposed to go to your lockers in between classes, nobody seemed to respect that rule and almost everyone broke it. She had slammed into the locker next to yours, the loud noise the metal made making your cringe only slightly. “Heyo Karkles. I didn’t see you this morning? Did you come in late?” She had inquired, grinning practically ear to ear. It was her default expression. It was kind of creepy in all honesty.

“Yeah, I had to do some stuff last night and I left my bag at the cemetery. I had to make a detour to go get it since I couldn’t yesterday with the rain and all-  _will you stop fucking sniffing me?_ It’s really fucking weird. Normal humans do that.”

She bristled, frowning for only a moment before breaking out into a grin once again. Somehow, her teeth managed to look sharper than they were when she did that. “You know I’m no ‘normal human’. That shit’s for normies, and I ain't-a normie. Are you calling me a normie, Karkat? Shame on you.”

You sighed, rolling your eyes. “No Terezi. Just-  _I just told you not to sniff you fuckass can’t you get that through your pea-sized brain?_ ” You snapped, flicking her in the forehead when she leaned over and tried to sniff your neck once more.

She crossed her arms. “I could tell on you to the principal for bullying. I can’t believe you’d stoop so low as to bully a blind girl!  _Shame on your cow_.”

“Terezi, I don’t have a cow. Or any goddamn pets. And that was a poorly placed Disney reference. Although maybe I should get one, it has been pretty lonely around the house since you never visit me anymore…”

She shook her head, waving her hand away. “Anyways, we can talk about puppies and kittens and how you’ll guilt me into coming over after school later. There’s a more pressing issue at hand, Karkles.” She began, suddenly turning serious. You immediately stand on attention. Terezi’s intuition has yet to lead you wrong.

“You smell like iron and metal. Did something serious actually happen to you yesterday that you’re not telling me, Karkat? You smell like blood. Huge amounts of it too. Were you bleeding profusely?”

You suddenly stand rigid. You sigh. You suppose it wouldn’t do harm to tell her about what happened yesterday. “No. I just- it was weird. I found Dave inside a mausoleum yesterday, all bloodied up and stuff. He never told me what happened, he just kinda left while I was asleep. Maybe that’s it?” You offered, but she doesn’t seem to be satisfied.

Suddenly, she pulls you with her down to the boy’s bathroom. “Terezi, what the shit are you doing?! Girls aren’t allowed in here-”

“Are you going to tell on me?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t see the problem. It’s empty anyway.” She remarked, voice smug. She then turns you to face the mirror- you still have no idea how she can know where things are without having to feel for it- and runs her fingers through your neck. You shivered at the touch.

“Terezi, we talked about this. Didn’t you say that we were-”

“Hush. Don’t jump to conclusions.” She simply snapped before laying a hand flat around your jawline. “Aha! Found it.” She exclaimed, before pulling her hand away and pushing you closer to the mirror. “Look at it and tell me what you see.”

You sighed and rolled your eyes, complying to her whims. You’re already late anyway and you’re only going to be later if you refuse her. You leaned over, craning your neck to see.

And then your whole body paralyzes once more and you suddenly remember everything that happened last night. You can’t help the flush of red that shows itself on your face from anger, embarrassment, and shame.

Right there on your neck, previously hidden by your dark curly hair- was 4 red spots- two perpendicular to each other- that looks like it was just recently punctured. God you are going to kill Strider. After you get some answers, you’re going to kill him for this.

So everything that had happened last night… It was all… Real.

It wasn’t a dream.

The consequences of this realization have yet to fully sink into your brain. The discovery was just much too big to comprehend in the morning of a school day. But you can’t help the feeling of being violated creep into your body, making you shiver.

You’re definitely going to kill him.


	2. Dealing With The Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah I'm glad people like this ^^" This was honestly experimental, trying to see if people would like it but they seem to I'll post a chapter. I've got one more ready to go already but I'll post it at a later date so I can write more chapters before then.
> 
> Btw, the vampires on this fic is pretty much from Vampire Diaries. I kinda used it as my inspiration. If that helps imagine the scenery and tone of the fic XD
> 
> Anyways, thank you guys! Critiques are open, most this is kind of unedited so commenting any spelling errors or weird formatting/wording would be appreciated. I can't catch everything through just a few rereads by myself ^^" Suggestions for plot is also open to consideration, but I can't guarantee it :') I'm just writing this as I go, but I do have an ending in mind to tie it all together. It's just the middle that's pretty much missing because I suck at thinking up of story obstacles xP
> 
> Anyways! Go forth and read and have fun! Thank you guys again!

_Dire straits and dirty consequences_

_An invitation to your personal disaster_

_It's a point break_

_Another guilty conscience_

     - [Can't breathe, can't sleep, Digital Daggers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9GgyXJmzko)

 

[The school day couldn’t have dragged on any longer.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VagES3pxttQ) With the new discovery that Dave Strider is a freaky _creature thing_ (You refuse to use the term because you’re still having a hard time believing what happened to you actually did occur), all you wanted was for the day to end already so you can meet him in the same graveyard you found him in yesterday.

Earlier that day, you had managed to slip a note into the stupid blond’s locker. It was just a slip of paper that demanded that he meets you at the graveyard after school. You had even hung around near his locker, acting like you weren’t waiting for him to check his locker to make sure he received your note. Which he did, and now, it’s all you can think about.

He had looked around the hallways, from left to right, then back to the left, before folding the piece of paper in half and pocketing it in his back jean pocket. You notice that he’s wearing those shades again, and you wonder once more why they were missing yesterday. You wonder about what the hell happened yesterday.

Sitting in social class about whatever other war it was that occurred in history, you have plenty of time to dwell on your thoughts. And that wasn’t exactly a good thing, considering what your mind is currently thinking.

First of all, Terezi’s weird behaviour after you’ve located the wound. She simply shrugged it off and never questioned you any further about it, which was odd considering how worried she seemed. But the ginger simply shrugged her shoulders literally, before walking out of the boy’s bathroom and claiming she’s already super late for her class like she actually cared about attendance for once.

Then there was the uncomfortable disgust you feel at the pit of your stomach. Your skin prickles with a sort of discomfort that you can’t quite understand. You feel wrong as if you were in the wrong body and you can’t help constantly scratch at the intangible itch where you’ve been… Bitten, for a lack of a better term. You roll your sleeves down and hide your hands under the safety of the fabric.

The term honestly sends shivers down your spine in a way you wholeheartedly hated. Your throat is dry and your eyes feel heavy. You just feel like crumpling up into a ball. It’s what you always did when you couldn’t cope. Just hide away in the shadows and forget you had any problems, to begin with. Even the thought of having to face him was making you shudder and seeds of doubt grow ever-present inside your head.

But you can’t afford to do that. You set aside your fear and let the festering anger inside you burn brighter. Yeah. That’s right, you’ll focus on all the maddening things about your whole situation, and not the fear of consequences of what this may mean. Consequences that could, probably already have, shattered your view of the world.

You focus on your growing loathing for Strider and what he’s done to you. You focus on what you’ll say, what you’ll do when you finally come face to face with him. But when the bell rung on your final class, indicating the end of the day, you find yourself stalling. You had stayed by your locker for too long, long enough for Terezi to mimic what she had done earlier in the morning by slamming her body against the nearest locker to yours and grinning that shark-like grin of hers.

“So, are you ready? You’ve successfully guilt-tripped me into this so we’re going home together.” She announced, making you freeze up once more. You forgot you had said something about her coming over after school because you couldn’t outright admit that you were lonely and bored inside your house. You could only watch so many reruns of the bachelor and bachelorette before your brain starts to malfunction from the usual sheer idiocy of American reality tv shows.

“Uh, can we put that on hold? Maybe tomorrow on Friday, you could even sleep over then. I just remembered that I had some shit to do. I probably need to do some cleaning too before I can have anyone over.” You quickly said as an excuse, quickly packing your things, shoving your necessary textbooks in and leaving the ones you have no use for in terms of homework.

The blind girl seemed to frown displeasingly at this before her usual cheery attitude comes back, wiping away a hint of her discontentment at your reply as if it never even happened in the first place. “Yeah, sure. Just text me as soon as you get home so I can be sure you’re safe, okay?” She said, putting a hand on your shoulder and lightly squeezing before bowing her head out of your peripheral vision, her short neck length ginger hair disappearing into the crowd.

Something about how she’s acting feels off. That’s the first time Terezi has ever asked you to text her about coming home safely. Everything about today feels off. Like if all of your furniture was suddenly moved 5 inches to the left than where you had originally put it. Normal but with a sense of dread that something major was going on behind your back.

Still, you shake your head, dispelling your thoughts away and trudged to the exit of the school, making your way down the street to the cemetery.

 

___x___

 

Shooting out a quick text to Terezi, lying that you’ve gotten home safely, you lean against the wall with your shoulder, facing forwards instead of leaning on your back, outside the mausoleum where you had your first interaction with Dave fucking Strider. Then, you check the time.

Three fifteen in the afternoon, it read. The sky above you wasn’t as cloudy as yesterday and looking at the forecast on your phone told you that it won’t be raining until midnight tonight. And even then, it’ll just be a light downpour. You had opted to wear back boots anyways since the soil of the graveyard was still somewhat muddy from yesterday’s storm.

Impatient as you are, you check your phone again for the time. Three eighteen in the afternoon. Only three minutes have passed since you last checked. You breathe out a sigh of exasperation.

Only to scream like a girl the next second afterwards when hands come upon your shoulders and a breath blows at the back of your neck. You immediately jump back from the attacker, growling lowly. Of course. It was your guest, the person you painstaking debated within yourself whether you wanted to face him or not or simply forget about the whole ordeal. But then, something in you would constantly feel incomplete, always verging on uncomfortable in your own skin.

It was Strider and his moronic smug ass smile. “Boo.” He casually puts his hands into his pockets,- with his thumbs out, you note- shades once again hiding the rest of his face. But you could almost imagine it- red eyes with a glint of mischief behind them.

“What the actual literal shit are you doing, you piss poor excuse of a fucking human?!” You boomed, voice rising without meaning to. Yet your assailant continued to look impassive, unfazed by the blowout. “Isn’t what you fucking did last night already enough, shit eating fuck stain? Did you need to scare the living shit out of me to add to the pile of shit-strider-did-that-was-worth-planning-his-murder-for?”

He shrugs offhandedly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about dude. I do gotta say, for first dates, this a first, meeting in a cemetery and all. Do you have a corpse fetish, Karkat? Are you a necrophiliac? Do you get a kick out of doing sexual-”

“First of all,” You immediately cut him off before he can ramble on. “I know what necrophilia is, jackass. And second of all, that’s just fucking disgusting and the fact that you mentioned it leads me to believe that you’re who’s got a dead kink- which I wouldn’t be surprised with considering what a vile creature you are-, and thirdly, you know what _exactly_ what the fuck I’m talking about. Hiding it isn’t going to do jack shit now.”

He seemed to be ambivalent for a moment, brows knitting together in a frown and jaw set tightly. Then, he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, returning to his usual relaxed disposition. “I literally have no idea what you’re talking about, kittykat.” He shrugged for the umpteenth time to prove his point.

Rage swelling inside your chest by this point, just staring at his stupid blond face. All of your doubts and insecurity were thrown right out the proverbial window. You walked right up to his face before craning your neck to show off the pinprick wounds around your jawline, just below your ear. “You see this shit? Explain to me what the fuck this is then, fuckass.” Right after showing it to him, you immediately retreat, putting an appropriate distance between the two of you.

This time, he seemed to freeze on the spot. You might even go as far as to say that he’s stopped breathing. “You shouldn’t remember that. And you shouldn’t have found out about that.” He simply deadpanned.

“Well, you don’t get to fucking tell me what I should and shouldn’t remember. You took _advantage_ of me. And this is the thanks I get for helping your ass out yesterday? _You used me as a fucking blood juice box!_ ” You fumed, words just stumbling out of your mouth. You didn’t even realize that you finally admitted what you’ve been tiptoeing around all day. Admitted the idea you’ve been vehemently been trying to avoid at all costs.

[Now you’ve got his attention.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g52rAvhyLAE) “You shouldn’t…” He paused, hands out of his pockets and clenched on either side of him now. “Unless…” Realization seemed to dawn on his face and he brings his palm to his forehead. “Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking _fuck_ .” He muttered to himself. “I am so _fucked_.”

This sudden change in his attitude gave you pause, your anger dissipating, for now, only to be replaced by utter befuddlement. He paces around in front of you, hands in his hair, muttering quietly to himself for what felt like minutes but was probably only a few seconds. “What do you mean…?” You trailed off, voice like a shout against the unnerving silence of the forest.

He has pulled his shades above his head at this point, his eyes staring straight into yours. Once again, it feels like you’re pinned in place, unable to look away from those gorgeous red orbs. “Turn around.” He said simply, and for a moment, a flicker of a thought popped into your mind, compelling you to do as he says. But you stayed in place, blinked, and then the thought was gone.

“What the fuck are you doing, Strider? I came here to get my fucking questions answered, not continue to add to the shit show of a pile.” You barked, but it doesn’t seem to reach him. He simply continued to pace, biting his lower lip hard that you’re almost afraid he might break his skin and bleed.

“I can’t fucking believe this. With all my luck, it had to be you. _It had to be you_. Fuck! You should’ve just left me at this shitty graveyard! I never asked for your help. What the hell were you doing here in the first place?!” He rambled on, continuing to pace. You continue to be confused.

You weren’t going to just tell him your reason for being where you are right now. “ _Strider_. Fucking answer my goddamn questions!”

He seemed to pause at this, stopping mid-walk and turning to face you. In a moment, he’s on your hands grasping your shoulders in a way that stung a little. His eyes were wide and searching, lips pursed to a thin line. “Fine. I’ll answer anything you ask but you have to make a deal with me.” He said, voice almost hurried. He seemed on the border of frantic. Any emotion on the self-proclaimed coolkid is still a foreign sight to you.

You furrowed your brows. “Like hell am I making a deal with you-” But before you can finish your sentence, he cuts you off.

“Just agree to the fucking terms, goddamnit!” He practically shouted in your face, fingers digging further into your skin that it might just leave a bruise. Your stomach flips, that same spike of fear from yesterday pushing its way to the forefront of your mind.

“Fine.” You muttered quietly, looking down, unable to meet his intense gaze. He visibly relaxes at this, dropping his hands from their vice grip on your shoulder and taking a step back. You dared to look back up at him, only to find his facade back in place, shades hiding his eyes once more. “What do you want me to do in return.”

Face still completely unreadable, he answered, “I just need you to keep what this,” he gestures to the two of you then to the whole cemetery before continuing, “a secret. You can’t tell anyone. Especially your friends. And most of all, _not Terezi_.”

Your heart jumped at that. You always tell Terezi everything, despite telling small little white lies. But now you've got to cover a big black ugly lie? The thought makes you shudder. “What happens if I don’t agree?”

He stared at you with complete calmness. “I have to snap your neck.” He responded without hesitation, saying it as if it was a simple throwaway line he says on a daily basis. You morbidly wonder for a moment if it was a daily activity for him, considering… Considering what he is.

You take a big gulp of air, clenching your hands once again to hide your trembling hands. “Alright. Fine. But you promise that everything you tell me is the truth, and only the truth? An omission is not allowed. You have to tell me everything. I mean it. Everything.”

He seemed to give this a thought for a moment before giving you a curt nod, followed by that trademark curl at the corner of his lips. “Sure. Fire anything at me and I’ll answer only in one hundred percent truth. I won’t leave anything thing out either. So, we got a deal?” He reached out to offer his hand to you.

You hesitated only a moment before taking a step forward and taking his hand into yours in a firm handshake. “Deal.”

 

___x___

 

Never in your life did you think you would house a vampire under your roof. And be serving him copious amounts of apple juice every fucking five minutes. If apple juice was alcohol, he'd be long dead because of alcohol poisoning. He downs that shit like it’s nobody’s business.

“Do you even need to drink this shit? Don’t you like… sustain yourself in other ways?” You mutter, fighting the urge to touch the wound at your neck. He simply took a sip of his precious apple juice, before fiddling with the straw he _demanded_ to have, taking his time with answering.

“No, I don’t need to drink or eat. But I still could. It’s just treated as a sort of luxury- like how you don’t need wine,- if you’re not a raging alcoholic, I would know-, but still drink it every now and then for the taste.” He replied blandly, seemingly bored with the whole conversation already. You can’t blame him, you’re trying to stall before you dive in head first into the deep end of this pool full of shit and utter fuckery.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” He inquired brows furrowing together for a moment.

You give a casual shrug and nod. “I don’t see why fucking not. But the rules I set out don’t apply to me. If I wanted to lie and tell you I had a brother in new york who’s a leading a wonderful life as a thriving political activist while having a successful long-distance relationship with a guy who’s weirdly obsessed with fishes and aquariums along with enjoying water-based kinks, I could.”  But little does the other person know, everything you just spewed out is the complete truth.

Although you haven’t seen Kankri in years after he left when he was 18 and you were only 6, he occasionally sends you back money in order to keep the house under your name.

Dave seemed to be amused with this description, raising a blond eyebrow above his ray bans’. “That’s oddly specific but okay.” He stated, continuing to sip on his glass of apple juice. He’s already halfway through this one. Embarrassingly, the first question that pops into your mind is if he needs to pee at all or if it’s just not a function he gets to participate, being an undead immortal creature and all. “Anyways, I wanted to ask why you were even making a big fuss out of me biting you.”

Immediately, a dark flush crawls up your neck, overtaking your whole face along with the tips of your ears. The newspaper on the table suddenly looked extremely interesting to you. “I just… It feels fucking… Intimate. From what I remember of last night.” You mutter weakly as a response.

Once again, a lone eyebrow is raised, hints of a telltale smirk slowly forming on his lips. “Intimate?” He said like a question, and you know it’s meant to prod you further about the topic.

You raise your eyes and glare daggers into your own reflection on his stupid shades. “I feel fucking violated, douchenozzle. Do I have to make it any clearer?” You snapped back.

He made a quiet _pfttt_ noise as he tried to keep himself from laughing, putting a hand over his mouth while the other cautiously tried to put the glass of apple juice down before he spills it. “Are you fucking serious? It’s not like you weren’t against it, dude. You seemed pretty into it.” He teased, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at you.

“Ew, fuck no. That was fucking repulsive, Strider, please never fucking do that shit with me again. And you probably did some sort of fucking voodoo magic shit on me because I didn’t even remember it until Terezi pointed it out this morning.” He bristled at the mention of Terezi. You’re wondering why that is now, but before you can question it, he derails the conversation further.

“[Okay, fine. Tell me exactly _how_ I violated you.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydKs8l5exsc) It was dubious consent at worst and I never did anything to you aside from trying to compel you to forget the encounter before I sunk my teeth in you. And since compulsion seems to actually not work on you anyways, that just further proves my point that I didn’t force you into anything, nor did I coerce you into it.” He said in a matter-of-factly tone that infuriates you. “Oh- Oh my _god_ , dude. Don’t tell me- you read those teen romance shit don’t you. The one where a sexy vampire up and comes to this one girl’s life and bond together in a flowery field full of daisies. And then for the sexual tension, they write about how drinking blood is totally sacred and shit and when the girl consents to be fed on, it’s like some fucked up form of sex in which the girl finally puts all her trust in the vampire and shit? Well, let me just tell you right now that that shit is complete bullshit-”

You hadn’t realized you’ve done it, but you suddenly find yourself standing up, empty glass in hand, with the apple juice drenching Dave on your couch. You could feel the scorching burn of your cheeks and you can’t even register where the emotion really comes from. You're a storm of anger, hate, embarrassment, and shame at the moment. “Shut. The. Fucking. Hell. Up.” You enunciate each and every word carefully, voice dripping with acidic venom it could probably kill a whole garden with just a single drop.

He carefully pulled his shades up over his dripping hair to stare at you in mild shock and what you place as offence. “Did I strike a nerve or something? Was I correct?” He said this in a completely, genuinely, confused manner, yet you can’t help but feel like he’s making fun of you.

“If you’re just going to belittle my fucking feelings as some fucked up form of romance from a trashy novel, then get out.” You said, spite in each word you spoke. He still looks stunned at you, eyes wide.

“I didn’t-” He started, but you cut him off.

“I SAID GET THE HELL OUT OF MY FUCKING HOUSE!” You screamed, closing your eyes tightly and trying to keep the tears brimming your eyes from falling. You point to the door, while your other hand gripped the glass too hard that it fucking shatters in between your fingers.

He scrambled up on his feet, rushing to the door before glancing at your worriedly, specifically at your bloodied, torn up, hand. You keep your head down, biting up a sob and failing miserably. “Get out. Get out, please.” You murmur desperately keeping your eyes on the hardwood floor beneath you, watching droplets of blood fall from your index finger.

He bit his lip and quickly left like you had asked. You only let yourself crumple down on the floor into a ball when the click of the door confirmed his disappearance from your house.

 

___x___

 

Friday was something you decided to keep away from by staying home that day. The ladies at the front desk don’t need much persuasion from you to convince them that you really are sick, you’ve got a near-perfect attendance. So when you called in sick, all they did was bid you good health soon.

You planned on just staying in your bed after the clusterfuck that was yesterday. You had to treat your wounds all by yourself, meaning you had to put on the bandages by yourself too. You could’ve called Terezi over, but then, she’d just bombard you with questions as to what happened, and that conversation can easily lead back to why you had even invited Strider over, and you’re really fond of your neck so you don’t call her. Or anyone. You can take care of yourself just fine.

After cleaning up the blood, the glass, and the apple juice, you find your phone blowing up with text messages anyways. But the one you’re curious about the unknown number that’s taking up most of your feed.

You decide that you’ll answer this fucker last because you have a sinking feeling you know who it’s from.

 

**Unknown number**

hey

 

That same message was basically repeated over 10 times before whoever it was decided to finally change what to say when there was a clear lack of a response.

 

im sorry can you please answer this

i want to talk

like face to face and shit

its important

 

The next text you zone in on was Terezi’s. It was a lone message which is why it’s so peculiar to you. Compared to Sollux’s, Nepeta’s, and Eridan’s worried messages about why you’re missing, Terezi’s was bizarre and ominous. Although, the nickname you had assigned to her makes it a little silly too.

 

**lickitung fucker**

W3 N33D TO T4LK.


	3. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Edit  
> I realize how much I fucking use the word 'shrug'. Seriously, I'm sure you can make a fuckin drinking game out of it.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the rest of the chapter!

_There's a game they play that I'm not part of_

_Tearing at the weaknesses and all the faults they know_

_It's impossible to navigate around_

_It's inevitable that you'll fall in_

     - [Pit of vipers, Simon Curtis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8e3rEmJEFg)

 

[Friday after school.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUzoPhZjEY4) Around three forty-seven in the afternoon. You sat by the local corner cafe situated around a street with a strip mall on either side. The sun was still high in the sky, as if it was still noon. Another inconvenience of the summer; the sun doesn't fucking set until 9 at night. You're starting to wonder why you picked a seat near the window where the sun's rays are staring you straight in the face. You curse the fact that the rain clouds seem to have past, leaving you in the summer heat.  
  
This time, you had opted simply to wear a dark blue t-shirt with a depiction of some cartoon crab in the front. You had initially worn a grey hoodie on your way downtown when it was still cool outside, but now, it was simply tied around your waist, sleeves hanging loosely.  
  
The douchebag had insisted to meet you after school to discuss things. You had only approved since you never did get the explanation you wanted out of yesterday's bullshit.  
  
Now though, all you were doing is tapping out a rhythmic beat into the table, sipping your iced chai latte every down and then. You've been waiting here for a solid twenty minutes already and you're starting to wonder if he was just fucking with you and decided to stand you up and waste your precious time.  
  
Finally, there was the familiar chiming noise of the cafe doors opening. You shifted in your seat to give a bored stare at the new arrival. It's still not Strider.  
  
You were seriously debating pestering him further about his status on his way to your designated meeting lace when there was another chime just moments after the previous one. This time, it was the one you're actually waiting for.

Dave hid his face with his usual shades and wore an abhorrently saturated red shirt with a left chest pocket. He's got it partnered with tight fitting black washed skinny jeans and a darker shade of red converse shoes. He looked like an assault on your very eyes. Then again, so is his face on a daily basis.  
  
He casually pulled the metallic chair back and plopped himself in front of you, face impassive as ever. You get right down to business. "Alright fuckass. You managed to convince me out of the safety and comfort of my bedroom blankets. Make this shit worth my time or I'm never speaking to you again."  
  
He simply lets that smirk creep up his face once again. You're 2 seconds away from strangling him with your bare hands. The fact that homicide is illegal in all 50 states is the only thing stopping you. "Relax. I just wanted to say I'm sorry." He started off, expression suddenly shifting to one of seriousness. "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings- it's not what I intended. I guess sometimes my humour is just borderline mean and I need someone to keep me in check. That someone is usually Rose or Roxy, but that's not the point. I'm actually sorry. I swear I'm not an asshole 24/7."  
  
"Is that seriously all that you came here to talk to me for?" You questioned, keeping your voice as bored as possible. You just want to get this shit over with.  
  
He paused and seemed to think this over. Then, he bit his lip and you have a sneaking suspicion that he's looking around the cafe under those damned aviators of his. Then, it clicks in your head. "You're only here to really check if I'll spill your dirty little secret, aren't you? If the deal is still on?"  
  
He continued to remain silent, fidgeting around and shifting his weight every so often. "Is it?" You hissed, pressing on. Anger was flaring up inside you once more. This fucking inconsiderate bastard probably never cared about nor felt guilty about what he said. He's just using it as a preface to getting to what he really wants.

His whole demeanour turned serious. "You asked me to be honest with you, so yes, yes that's also something I wanted to confirm." But despite all of this being true, why do you suddenly feel deflated, disappointed, about this fact?  
  
You sighed and sagged back into your seat, glaring at the misspelling of your name on your chai latte. 'Carkurt'. What the actual hell. "So, are we done here then?" You mutter, watching the condensation drip from its plastic cup. Dave raised an eyebrow across the table from you. "You never answered me. About my apology or if we're still in speaking terms..." He seemed to mutter just loud enough for you to hear. You shift your glare from the disgusting way your name is spelled to his stupid shades.  
  
"Fuck your horse shit apology. You probably don't even mean it. And in what way does the  _deal_ relate to us being on speaking terms? I get to ask the questions. But I don't _need_ to." You barked, voice coming out harsher than you intended, but you almost don't care when nothing in his expression ever changes to react to what you're doing or saying.  
  
Hold that thought.  
  
Since _when_ did you start wanting to break his stupid facade? Even to show the slightest bit of emotion. Since when did you fucking care about that? Since when did you care about Strider, _period_?

He seemed to sneer at you for a moment, but it was gone before you can be sure. "You will anyway. You're curious, aren't you? It'll nag at you all while you try and avoid me and then you'll come back for me for answers." He said this as if it was as factual as the fucking dictionary. And that only serves to piss you off even more. Because it is somewhat factual to your personality.  
  
"Don't act like you fucking know me, you prickly ass fuck." You replied bitterly, but you can't muster the strength to put up much of an argument. You don't want to deal with Strider anymore than you have today.  
  
A simple smirk was the response you got as he leaned back into his seat, putting his hands behind his head and bringing his leg up over to his other leg to create a number four with his body. Jackass trying to take up as much space as he can to look confident. "Well, I'm here right now. You can ask questions, and I won't bring up the biting thing again."  
  
You rolled your eyes. "If you were actually smarter, you wouldn't have mentioned not mentioning that stupid as shit topic in the first place." You quip back.  
  
He shrugged, shifting his positions once more since the previous one actually looked pretty uncomfortable to keep up. He instead leans on the table, bringing his seat closer with a loud squeak as it slid across the tiled floor. "Are you going to ask me questions or not?"  
  
With an indignant huff, you cross your arms and continue to glare at your reflection on his shades. "What happened to you on Wednesday?"  
  
He seemed to freeze up for a moment before casually answering a simple, "hunters."Which tells you absolute jack shit about how and why he got the injury that he did.  
  
And you voice exactly this problem. "That doesn't tell me jack shit, fuck nut. What do you mean 'hunters'?" You pressed, unknowingly gripping your drink tightly with your uninjured hand.

  
He took notice of this, frowning slightly. "How's your other hand by the way?" He suddenly asked, startling you out of your reverie. You glanced down at your hands on the table, one of them all bandaged up.  
  
"Don't change the subject. Just answer my question." You insist, pulling your hands from the table and pocketing them inside your jeans. He sighed as if your request was an arduous task.

"This place is crawling with vampire hunters. One of them caught while I was feeding- and before you freak out, it was just a deer. No- don't give me that fucking look, it's totally normal for vampires like me to drink animal blood as a substitute to human blood." He explained, fiddling with his fingers the whole way through.  
  
You take a moment to let this information sink in. And then you try to place your feelings about this aforementioned information. You find yourself... somewhat disgusted and morbidly intrigued by the whole thing.  
  
But there's a question that hangs inside your head. You wish it would just go away and save you from embarrassment. "Why'd you bite me then?" You murmur.  
  
He shrugged once more. Seriously, how many times does this fucking prick shrug in a day? Does he fucking shrug to his math assignment as well? "Like I said, I was caught feeding. A vervain tipped arrow caught me on the side before I could move out of the way. Snagged me near my side. I was able to evade the hunters though, super speed and all that sweet shit." He started, and you note that although his face remains neutral, he tends to express himself more with his hand gestures as he spoke. "I pulled it off just before I got to the mausoleum. And then you came, and like I said, I haven't eaten all day. I was basically starving- I don't usually feed on humans but since you were there, my hunger thought it'd be fine to make an exception." Again with the shrug.

You take in this information once more and file it in a cabinet inside your brain. So... the whole thing was just out of convenience. You don't like the way your heart sinks at this new information. Why are you so disappointed? It never meant anything in the first place. So why are you letting this affect you as much as it does when it shouldn't?  
  
Maybe he was right. Maybe you thought it meant something more like he had mentioned yesterday when you had kicked him out. Maybe you didn't actually want to face the ugly truth. More so hear it.  
  
Your first bite from a vampire and it had been Strider. You start to wonder if there's more of them, and if so, _who_ ?  
  
You set aside your feelings of inadequacy to the far reaches of your mind. Instead, you lift your gaze over to Dave once more. "Are there others?"  
  
He nodded. "And I already know what you're going to ask so let me answer it for you. There's six of us in total around this small town."  
  
You bit your lower lip hard, brows knit together as you tried to process all of this huge truth bombs being thrown down on you. "Who are they, then?"  
  
He bristled at the question, making a quiet _tsk_ noise. He turned his head all around as if he was looking for someone, before bringing his attention on you once again. "Fuck, you're going to get me in even more trouble by saying this." He sighed.  
  
"Does it look like a give a single flying fuck?" You questioned rhetorically and when he starts to open his mouth to answer, you lean over and put your index finger over his mouth. "No, I don't. So shut the fuck up if you've got nothing else to say that answers my question."

You plop back on your seat, crossing your arms once more. You give him your attention as he begins to speak up, picking up where you left off. "Well, first, there's Dirk. That dweeb biker dude you'll sometimes see around the hallways, always carrying his helmet around when he's not in class? He's my brother. He's a senior."  
  
You nod stiffly, your mind wandering to the other blond who's got his hair styled almost like he was cosplaying an anime of some sort. He keeps more of a low profile around the school.  
  
"Then there's Roxy," He started but you quickly interject.  
  
"I know Roxy. Peppy cheerleader, vice president of the student council. The two of you are basically the kings and queen of the campus with how fucking popular the two of you are." He simply nodded, confirming your description.  
  
"Well, too bad for the girls who constantly ship us together, she's my sister. Well, adoptive sister, but a sister nonetheless." You quirk an eyebrow but he waves a dismissive hand. "We can get into my fucked up family tree later. That's not important right now."  
  
"Then, by all means, fucking continue."  
  
"There's Rose. Also my adoptive sister, but like I said, that's a whole different cluster fuck we can get to later. She's the student council president but mostly keeps to herself. Reserved and shit like Dirk. They don't like drawing attention to themselves in case someone might find out about our vampirism. She likes to knit and is really into trashy YA romance novels along with harbouring a strange fascination for the occult."  
  
You're honestly not surprised that the short blonde haired female was apart of this small cult of vampires. If you'd pinpoint anyone as most likely to be a secret vampire in disguise, you'd point to her. Or a witch, that also works. The girl doesn't exactly hide her interest in said occult things. It's in her accessories and the clothes she wears.

"Then there's John- He's my best friend. Go _way way back_ . Some people might even think we're fucking gay for each other with how comfortable we are with each other. If it weren't for the fact that he's utterly straight. He seems to need to clarify this every so other time to somehow prove his masculinity, a word I would never use to describe him as in a million years." He seemed to smile genuinely for a moment when he talked about the buck-toothed, jet black haired, male. It's a strange expression on his usually impassive face, but you find yourself weirdly attracted to it. The corners of his lips crinkle in a way that shows that he's got dimples and his cheeks puffing up a little in an adorably subtle way and touching the edges of his shades.  
  
You tear your gaze away from his face to stare at your mostly forgotten drink. It's lukewarm now but you still take a sip. Like hell, you're going to waste 5 dollars on a good latte. You're not even halfway through it. "What about you?"  
  
You freeze up when the words leave your mouth. You... hadn't meant to ask that, and it takes all of your effort to keep the blush from rising to your cheeks. He seemed slow to understand though, making a quiet hum noise of a question. You quickly take this chance to backtrack. "Nothing. Continue with your descriptions. Who's the last one?"  
  
He stared at you for a moment and you see the moment when things finally processed through his brain properly.  His lips curl at the corners in a half smile, mischief written across his face. "Ohhhh. You meant my sexuality. You don't get to dodge this question, Karkitty. I'll happily tell you."  
  
"You really don't have to." You snapped.  
  
"But I want to." He raised an eyebrow, amused by the sudden turn of events. You're less than pleased.

In any case, he continued forward without your prompting anyways, and you know he wouldn't stop if you had tried anything that didn't include a duct tape to his mouth. "I don't really discriminate in terms of gender. If I find someone attractive, then they just are. It depends on whether I make a move or not. I guess you can say that I'm either bisexual or pansexual."  
  
All while he told you this, you kept your eyes on the ground, sipping your drink and hoped against all hope that he wouldn't notice the darkening blush across your face. This is not the case. "What's gotten all red and flustered, Karbaby?" He purred, teasing you.  
  
"Shut the hell up. I'm just hot from the sun." God, for once you're glad for the scorching heat of the sun.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at you, pointing to the glass window beside the two of you. "The sun's setting, babe." Fuck.  
  
An idea popped in your head. You quickly pull out your phone, checking for the time. "Holy shit it's already five fifty." You mutter. You put on your best plastic smile for him and grab your drink. "Welp, that means I have to go. I've still got shit to do around the house before night time so see ya, fish fondling dick weed."  
  
You stand up quickly, heading straight for the door, glad for the chiming noise it makes when the door closed. But you make the mistake of looking back and find his smirking face.  
  
You turned away and focused your mind on the path ahead. It's about a twenty to twenty-five-minute walk from the cafe back to your home. And during that time, you put all your effort into trying to think about anything else other than the little factoid about Dave Strider your subconsciousness suddenly wanted to know.

___x___

 

[Sunday was the day Terezi wanted to meet up.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1ZZxBWpF4w) She would’ve done it Saturday, but she just had things planned with her family that day. Something about celebrating Latula’s acceptance form from some law school or something. You don’t mind much though. It’s fine, you’ve got nothing planned the whole weekend anyway.

So for the better part of Saturday, you spend it cleaning the house and doing various chores. It’s a pain to keep the house clean all by yourself and you’re not a big fan of dust covering any part of the furniture. So you have no choice but to clean the whole house (or at least dust if in case you actually did have plans for the weekend, which weren’t often) every few weeks or so.

It was also something to do to get away from all of the messages that keep blowing up your phone from every single person you know. Which isn’t a lot of people, but you did ignore your friend’s messages since Friday. You’re actually glad you’ve got concerned friends to look out for you. But honestly, this is just ridiculous.

Things seem to have been really off lately with your friends and you wonder why that is. They seem to be weirdly concerned about you in the past few days. To the point that’s far out of the norm.

Still, you answer each message finally, telling everyone that you’re still alive and okay and that you haven’t been mauled by a bear yet. Yeah. There are bears around the little-forested town of Skaia and your house being where it is, it’s not uncommon for you to see random animals roaming about in your front lawn. You even once got invaded by a family of raccoons, which your band of friends had to come over and do an impromptu extermination.

And just like that, Saturday came and went by in a blink of an eye.

Now, you wait at a local diner, the one the two of you went to grab lunch almost every day for junior high school. It’s just down the block, a few shops (four to be exact) before you hit the corner cafe where you had previously met up with Dave.

The diner was a small little space with only a few tables and booths available in it’s a small area. It had the classic counter with stools to sit on, another place for (mostly) lonely people eat at. The floor was your usual white tiled floor, although it could use a bit of cleaning and polishing around the corners of the room. The lights above was bright enough to blind someone with, but at the current moment, only a few of them were on and that was mostly near the back so the front would get a chance to soak up the sun’s golden rays through the storefront floor to ceiling windows.

The space you had chosen to wait at was a small booth secluded from everyone else’s prying eyes. It used to be your hangout with Terezi after school in junior high where the two of you would just try and do your homework instead of goofing off. The place has a warm spot in your heart.

It was actually early morning at the moment. The sun had just come out in its full force and the clock above the generic diner like a jukebox (you can’t believe they still exist at this day and age) read ten fifteen. The two of you originally set the meeting time to be ten thirty, but you had come early. You’d make some kind of excuse about why this was, maybe because you liked to be punctual (which you do), but the real reason would be because you’re kind of excited to hang out with Terezi again, even though whatever she may end up talking to you with is serious.

But it seems that Terezi is also eager to see you,- well, _sniff_ you,- because she arrived just five minutes since you last checked the time. She bounds over to you, an air to her step. You still have no idea how she can know where you are so easily before you’ve even spoken to let her know your location.

“Karkles! You’re here early. Did you really already miss me that much?” She teased, leaning on the table with one hand for a moment with her trademark freakishly large grin. She was wearing high waisted blue shorts with a dark red and white striped tank top. It reminds you of a sailor like outfit.

You smiled and gestured for her to sit, and you’d be baffled that she did after you do so, if it was your first time meeting her. Terezi is a ‘motherfuckin’ blind miracle’, as your friend, Gamzee, would say.

“Nah, I just like to be extra punctual in my meetings.” You as a matter-of-factly. She giggled, picking up the menu.

“Whatever lets you sleep at night, Karks.” She quipped back.

“Psh. Whatever.” You said weakly, rolling your eyes despite smiling. “Anyways, how was Latula’s acceptance celebration?” You inquired, striking up an amicable enough conversation with your childhood friend.

She kept her grin on her face as a waitress comes over and the both of you quickly order your food. She goes with a vegetarian salad meal with extra crutons and a tall glass of iced tea, while you picked your regular meal ever since middle school; a plain burger with fries and a cup of good old coke. It’s been a while since you last ate here. You wonder if the taste lives up to your nostalgia. Your stomach grumbles in protest. You specifically didn’t eat breakfast for this since you didn’t want to be full when you came in with Terezi.

“It went great. Meulin and Damara ended up making out after a dare when the night festivities started, so that was interesting and mildly disgusting to watch.” She answered right after ordering her meal. “And Latula also almost took out Cronus’ head with a baseball bat after trying to hit the piñata.” She cackles at this statement. Everyone you know hates your brother’s boyfriend.

You, yourself, can’t help but chuckle. “A piñata? Isn’t that a bit childish for a party about celebrating getting an acceptance form for a prestigious law school?” You questioned, unable to hide your smile. You smile a lot around Terezi, no matter the topic or question at hand.

Just then, your food arrives as she was replying. “Latula _is_ childish.” She countered before shoving a forkful of dressed lettuce into her mouth.

The two of you fall into a comfortable silence, talking about everything and nothing at all in between bites of your late breakfast and early lunch (brunch?). Eventually, though, the two of you finish your food and then there’s an obvious tone change after Terezi wipes her mouth with a tissue.

It honestly made you uneasy. “So, right to the business, Karks.” Terezi started, the same smile still plastered on her face, yet somehow, she makes it seem intimidating now instead of friendly like before. But it’s still the same damn smile. You simply choke it up to Terezi being weird and creepy in her own special way.

“Yeah? What did you want to talk to me about that you had to fucking invite me over to our middle school hang out for?”

She paused, letting the silence drift between the two of them for a moment. “It’s about Dave- Dave Strider.” She began, and you can already feel your heart plummet to the floor. “And that pinprick wound on your neck?” Her voice drops the usual cheery and raspy tone of it, opting for a more somber sounding voice that unnerves you. Her smile also seemed to falter.

“... What about him?” You pried, eyes scanning her every behaviour. You’ve never seen your childhood friend this serious.

“I know this is gonna sound crazy-” She chuckles, but it’s not the high pitched laughter you’re used to. It was a normal chuckle, but Pyrope manages to make it sound creepy by being out of the norm of her usual attitude. [“Hey karkles, what do you think about vampires?”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcpdg30p8bE) She suddenly asked instead of what you were expecting.

 _He’s a vampire_.

You shrug, acting completely oblivious to what she’s trying to get at. You have a deal to uphold and you want to keep your head so you’re going to have to practice your ability to lie at the face of your best friend, right here, right now. “I don’t really know? Fuck, the only vampires I cared about are from those shitty romance ya novel. Especially that series which shall not be named. Why’re you asking? You’re acting really strange today, Terezi. More so than usual.” You replied, trying your best to sound concerned and confused by this sudden change in tempo.

She seemed to gauge your reaction in her head for a while because all she does is give you a creepy vacant stare, face completely blank. You bristled, looking down at your shift and fidgeting with its hemline. And then, she nodded.

“Have I ever told you about my family history, Karkat?” She asked although she made it rhetoric. “Well, let me get into that now- You see my mother is-”

“What does this have to do with anything?” You cut in smoothly. She frowned at you, but it’s an expression you recognize at least. It’s the look she gives you when she’s annoyed by you.

“Let me finish, you dumbass. It’ll make sense in a second.” She snapped right back before clearing her throat. “My mother was apart of this- this-, well, we’ll call it an organization. Or rainbow rumpus party town. Yeah, rainbow rumpus party town. Just rainbow rumpus for short. Okay! Okay! Stop giving me that look, I’m getting there.”

“You anyways, my mother worked for this organization called the rainbow rumpus party town. They’re… a group that specializes in getting rid of… let’s say…. pests. Of course, I didn’t know this as a kid, all I knew was that my mom had to ‘go on business trips’. And when Latula turned sixteen, she started acting weird around our mother. It’s like a switch was suddenly flipped in her and she stopped being affectionate to our mother. Even stopped _accepting_ affection from her. I remember her shouting about not wanting to follow in her footsteps or something like that. It all came to a boiling point on her seventh birthday.

“She had her usual party with all her friends. Mother had even made it extra extravagant this time, renting out this fancy cruise boat. It was in all her attempts to get her to follow in ‘mom’s footsteps’. At the time, I was fourteen, I still had no idea what they were talking about. But anyways, on Latula’s seventh birthday, mother had gotten her this large rectangular gift. She had set it aside with all her gifts, opting to open them last, when the party’s nearly over. The last event of the sorts. So, she had fun and partied hard on that cruise boat, all while I watched with mother. Everything was going spectacularly until she had to open her gifts.

“Latula sat down with all her gifts that night, opening each one. Meulin got her a membership card to a nearby skatepark in our neighbourhood. Damara got her a skateboard-shaped dildo. Damara got a bruise on the arm in return. Mituna- they weren’t dating currently at this time, got her an expensive rad skateboard, one she’s been eyeing in the stores for a while and couldn’t shut up about it. It was cute. They were cute. I remember her blushing like crazy. But all of her happiness seemed to be sucked right out of her when she finally got to mother’s gift.

“I remember the colour draining from her face. She went through so many emotions at once in a single second at a time, I was a little scared. But whatever was inside the box had gotten Latula upset. Extremely so. She suddenly made everyone go home right then and there and refused to answer questions about what her mother got her to make her so mad. Afterwards, they had a fight out in the deck, and I remember her coming back inside with tears in her eyes, clutching her glasses close to her before grabbing her things and then disappearing off the boat. Mother stayed outside for a long while and I decided to take a peek at the gift that mother gave her. You wanna guess what was inside, Karkles?”

Up until this point, you’ve been nervously clawing the cushions of the seat under you while she rested her head on her hand, looking to be lost in her own mind as she talked. But now, she fixed her attention on you. You take in a gulp of air, feeling your mouth run dry. “What was in it? I don’t like guessing and embarrassing myself if I get it wrong.” You offered as a reply, trying to keep your nervousness from showing on your face. You have your eyebrows knit together, mouth set in a thin line.

The Pyrope seemed to smile sadly- another strange expression you don’t often get to see. It made her look strangely vulnerable. “It was a crossbow. With aquamarine encrusted jewels along the handle and painted the family colour of teal. The family emblem, Libra, was painted bright red on the sides.”

Your brows furrow further, genuinely surprised at this development. You didn’t have to fake that at least. “Why?” You simply asked, even though you know she’ll explain what the crossbow signifies as.

“Our family comes a lineage of hunters. Rainbow rumpus is an organization where my mother has a high ranking in. She usually handles the legal and papers part of things, and she sometimes goes on hunts with her original team. That’s what those ‘business trips are’, where she’ll be gone for weeks at a time. Then she’d tell us stories about the places she’s been. Do you know what she does for a living?”

You don’t answer and she doesn’t wait for you to answer.

“She was a vampire hunter, Karkat.” She practically whispers to you, as if she couldn’t believe her herself. You bite your lip, eyes widening. You don’t have to act surprised, although you did see the twist coming a mile away. It was obvious with how secretive she was with this ‘organization’, how serious she had been, that this whole thing involved vampires.

Still, you let the silence drag on, letting the implications of that sink into your mind.

Then, questions started flooding your mind. Why did they hunt vampires in the first place? Why was Terezi telling you this now? Was she a vampire hunter too? What about Dave? He doesn’t seem to be all that threatening or dangerous, except for the one time he threatened to snap your neck-

She, sensing your growing distress at the consequences of your previous actions, spoke up once again. Terezi turned her head away for a moment, covering his mouth with a hand. “When I turned fifteen, she decided to lecture me on the existence of vampires. She trained me from then on, since Latula refused to pick up the mantle after our mother. So, the responsibility fell upon me. I inherited the crossbow meant for my sister to hold.”

You’re grinding your teeth behind your pursed lip. You have no idea what or how to feel about all of this- just this Wednesday, you learned that vampires existed. This Thursday, you had talked with one and invited him into your home. This Friday, you learned that more of them exist around this boring little town of yours. And now you’re being told that your childhood friend has been carrying such a heavy secret with her for most of your friendship?

You… Don’t know what to feel. What you’re _supposed_ to feel. “Why’re you telling me this now?”

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. Both of you knew this question was going to come up.

Terezi points to your neck, addressing the bite mark. “You said you were with Strider when you got that bite mark right? It’s simple deduction really. I was afraid this was going to happen sooner or later. I’m surprised it took this long.”

You frowned, only continuing to be confused by the whole prospect of it. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve been trying to keep most of our friends safe from knowing the truth. But it’s hard with these vampires suddenly showing up and prowling the night. A few of us have… I suppose you can call it our own little organization- Oh shit, I definitely have to petition for our name to be called ‘rainbow rumpus party town’ now.” She seemed to beam at this prospect. Before her attention turned back to you again, concern written across her face.

“I…” You start, but you really don’t know where you were going with that sentence. So instead, you said, “I need some time to process all of this.” You muttered.

She seemed to brighten up and nods almost immediately. “Of course, that’s a totally valid course of action after everything i just dumped on you.” She supplied, hesitantly reaching her hand out to touch you. You meet her halfway, intertwining your hand around hers.

“Take your time.” She smiled softly. “We can talk about this another time, along with the next course of action and more specifics about the vampires around Skaia. You can meet members some other time too.”

You perk up at this. “There are other hunters?” You mumble quietly. She seemed sad to admit this.

“Yeah. Some of them are close friends of ours.” She confirmed. You simply nod slowly, eyeing your cup of diabetic soda and fiddling with the straw using your other free hand.

Then, you stand up. “I’ll time to think about this. Alone.” You simply tell her. Terezi nodded understandingly. With that, you step out of the booth and untangle your fingers from hers before telling her a quick goodbye.

You both step out of the diner and go about your separate ways. Terezi tells you she has another appointment with a group member. You simply trudge your way back home under the dark heavy clouds blocking out the sun once again. You feel very much like the weather; mind clouded with thoughts of doubt. Who’s word should you trust from here on out? The pretty faced vampire you made a deal with and has the ability to kill you if you break the promise you’ve made? Or your blind childhood friend who has lied to you for years about being a badass vampire hunter along with a few of your other close friends?

The answer isn’t as black and white as it seems.


	4. The Den

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everyone that was kind enough to point my mistakes ;-; It's really great help, I want this to be the best it can be! So really, thank you guys!

_Welcome to the freak show_

_This is where the freaks go_

_This is the place that they can never take away_

_Welcome to the freak show_

_-_ [Freakshow, Skillet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s707qxKrBGU)

[Monday arrived with ease.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFYecicPShQ) You, on the other hand, arrived to school like a human personification of a disaster. Dark wiry hair sticking out, dishevelled hoodie, and jeans that bunched up around your dirty white sneakers. There were eye bags under your eyes and you generally looked like you just recently crawled out of your coffin.  
  
Last night wasn't a good night for you. After all the revelations dumped onto you by Dave and Terezi, thoughts floated around your mind constantly.  
  
For the ten years of knowing her, your childhood was lying about being trained as a _vampire hunter_ for the better part of seven years. You thought you knew her tells when she was lying as well as she knows your tells when you lied. Apparently, you know only half of her life. She feels like a stranger to you somehow. Like you're being reintroduced to a new Terezi.  
  
Terezi who hates school sports activities. Terezi who makes hump jokes on Wednesday every morning just to make you uncomfortable and piss you off. Terezi who's lied to you for seven years about her home life. Terezi who's a vampire hunter and has known the existence of vampires since she was ten. You're beginning to wonder which of excuses for leaving you when you asked her to hang out was real excuses or just something to cover her work as a hunter.  
  
But your mind keeps insisting to give her the benefit of doubt. Afterall, you know jack shit about what being a vampire actually entails. But then your mind wanders back to Terezi's wounds and injuries and she chucked it up to some sort of fault of the various sports clubs' fault for not being careful. Your mind wonders what she was doing without your knowledge, in her free time.

You're wondering _what_ your other friends were up to if they were a part of this group of teenagers claiming to be vampire hunters. A deep sense of dread settles itself inside your gut, making you twist and turn in your bed. You feel betrayed. You feel betrayed even though you know it's unfair to them because all they were trying to do was keep you safe from the truth.  
  
Your mind wanders to Dave. You're only assuming that he's been truthful with you so far. He doesn't seem all that bad, aside from threatening you that one time. But you understand, it's for his safety and the safety of his loved ones. He hasn't done anything wrong. Sure, he had fed on you, but that was because of _starvation_ . Desperation pushed him to do it. And he did say that it wasn't often that he'd feed on humans. He even goes so far as to hunt animals as a substitute for human blood.  
  
He hasn't done anything wrong. As far as you know, the vampires are only being hunted because they _exist_ . And somehow, that's a crime. Sympathy and anger swirls inside you, making you feel strange.  
  
Here you are, sitting in your bed, wide awake at one in the morning, being _empathetic_ towards a creature you only found out truly existed just days ago.  
  
Your life sure is taking a strange turn. And you don't know how to feel about it. On one hand, you might be meddling with delicate relations between vampires and hunters, which could turn dangerous depending on who you side with.  
  
On the other hand, your life actually finally feels like it has meaning. Out was the boring, daily struggle of a seventeen-year-old boy in a first world country. In was excitement with a whole new world to explore.  
  
You take a deep breath.  
  
The fact that you're actually excited about this feels wrong. Like you're betraying your friends.

 _They lied to you for years_ . Your inner voice whispered quietly.  
  
And that was when you decided that you've had enough of this topic. You've twisted and turned it, looking at various aspects from different perspectives, and you're still undecided about who to trust. For now, you need to just sleep.  
  
Just sleep and forget.  
  
Which lands you back to the now.  
  
You promised yourself that you'd stop thinking about it. You promised yourself that you wouldn’t give yourself a migraine today. But seeing Terezi, and your other friends, it was a thought that's hard to avoid. You just love to torture yourself, don't you?

Terezi was hesitant to approach you that morning and it was disturbing to you not to see her usual grin. Instead, she gave you this half sort of smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Everything okay?” She asked politely, _politely_ . You never expected to use the word polite for Terezi. She always seemed brash, crazy, and reckless to you. Something subdued and reserved like being _polite_ was weird on her. But you guess you understand why she’s treating this as such a delicate situation. You wish she wouldn’t since this is only furthering his conflicting feelings about said situation.

You laughed sarcastically, cringing at yourself when it came out a little harsher and faker than you intended. “I’m doing fine, Terezi. I just need time to think about this whole thing. I don’t think I’m ready to face any of our friends right nor am I ready to know which are hunters like you. Give me a week.” You offered sincerely to make up for your assoholery so early in the morning on a Monday.

She nodded, action done in a somewhat defeated manner. She left you alone with your locker promptly after without much of another word. Fuck. You feel like such an asshole. Not the good kind, the really shitty as fuck asshole friend. Wow. You never knew you could stoop lower. Apparently, you can.

The first bell rings through your ears and you hurried to shove your things into your bag and quickly make your way to your first class.

And predicatively enough, classes come and go as boringly as possible. It felt like the day was crawling at a snail’s pace. That was until lunch finally came around.

You opted to eat out in the hallways to avoid your usual friend group. [But to your dismay, Strider found you halfway through lunch.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSurVjs2gf8)

“Hey, Karkles. That’s what your friend calls you, right?” He had drawled as he walked down the hallway to stand beside the bench you sat on. You wished god really existed so you can tell him to stop sending assholes your way when you’re eating. You just want to be left alone with your subway sandwich. But that was apparently impossible because you’re Karkat Vantas and everything goes wrong in your shitty excuse of a life.

“Fuck off, Strider. It wasn’t in the deal to put up with your bullshit in school.” You snapped, opting to try and ignore the bastard until he does eventually fuck off to annoy someone else.

But instead, he just took a seat beside you and crossed his arms, looking smug as ever. “It doesn’t _not_ say that we can’t interact inside school premises either.” He countered. Well shit. He’s got you there. You should’ve set stricter rules about talking to you.

“What do you want? You’ve never come to just to talk before, so you must want something.” You deadpanned, casually taking a bite out of your sandwich.

He feigned hurt, putting a hand over his heart. “That hurts me, Karkat. Your words hurt, you know. You should watch what you say before you break someone’s heart. Like seriously dude, you literally say fuck on every sentence it’s ridiculous. You just go around breaking stranger’s hearts and-”

You casually turned to face him and put a hand over his mouth with your free hand, glaring at him. “Shut the fuck up. You’re rambling. Just get to the fucking point so we can be over this IQ lowering conversation.”

Pulling your hand back, he smirked. “Can’t a guy just look for some companionable company? Maybe I just came here to hang out with a bro without any ulterior motives.”

“No.” You shake your head a little too vigorously. “Impossible. Out with what you want from me.”

He sighed dramatically and ran his fingers through his hair. You stared, weirdly finding the simple action somehow graceful and elegant. Then he opens his mouth and you’re brought back to the reality that you’re talking to the biggest asshole that every assholed. “Fine. I want to meet up back at the cemetery again.” He stated

You narrow your eyes at him. “Why? What’s the point?”

He shrugged. “Just come, okay? There’s somewhere important that we need to go to. But probably go home and change clothes into something less… Lame, I guess.”

You chew on your piece of sandwich angrily, making sure to swallow before you spoke. “What if I don’t want to go anywhere with you, needle dick? It’s not in our deal. Our deal was specifically _me_ choosing _when_ to approach you, not the other way around, ass hat.”

He sighed exasperatedly again, resting his cheek on one hand to face you. “I’m not leaving you alone until you say yes.” He shifted so that his shades would slide down his nose just enough to show off his eyes. And then he fucking winked at you.

“Fine. I’ll fucking go. Just leave me and my beef sandwich in peace.” You growled almost immediately. You can’t take his presence near you any longer than what you’ve already spent near him.

But then again, you just agreed to spend more time with him after school.

You just _love_ torturing yourself, don’t you?

 

___x___

 

[Staring at the mirror, you feel a little ridiculous.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea2WoUtbzuw) Who were you kidding? You feel a lot ridiculous.

You had taken Strider’s advice and gone home to change out of your dishevelled dirty clothes. Instead, you actually put effort this time to somewhat tame your dark hair into an acceptable look. You even wore your good green and black button up plaid shirt,- whose sleeves you rolled up to your elbows- along with nice dark washed fitted jeans. Looking in the mirror, you feel ridiculous. You were somewhat dressed in a formal casual outfit, yet you don’t even know where the blond fucker was even taking you. You really should’ve worn the shittiest clothes you had just to spite the bastard.

Instead, you keep your current outfit and pull on your less used brown combat boots before heading out.

The walk to the cemetery wasn't long at all and the weather had been nice for a walk if you really wanted to. It was slightly cloudy, but unlike the storm clouds from previous days. Seriously, this town you live in has some fucked up weather mood swings. Everything had been perfectly normal and average. Until you actually get to the graveyard.  
  
But what did surprise you were the black Lexus IS that was sitting just below the start of the slow incline upwards towards the graveyard. Your heart does this shitty thing- it skips a beat. But you're not sure why, perhaps it was just excitement at where you're actually going- which is completely unknown to you.  
  
It should probably unnerve you a little, going into a car with virtually a stranger, but it weirdly doesn't. You feel your heart rate take a big leap up, feel the tingling sensations of electricity at the tips of your fingers. The danger is weirdly appealing to you.  
  
But you'd never admit that to the smirking douche bag sitting inside the car with his windows rolled down. "I forgot to tell you what time you should expect me at so I came right after school. Dumb move on my part. I've been waiting here for a good forty-five minutes already. Why you gotta make a guy wait, Kitkat?" He babbled on before clearly eyeing you up and down (you know because of his neck shifts slightly and you think he did this on purpose to let you know that he was checking you out). Then, his little smirk turns into that irksome half smile you hate. "You do clean up pretty nicely though, Vantas."  
  
"Go shove a nine inch rusty nail up your asshole, Strider." You quipped, flipping him the bird as you rounded around the car and open the passenger seat, sitting yourself down like you've been getting rides from Strider a hundred times before. Completely calm and like you practically own the car anyways. The dick bag chuckled at your demeanour to the whole thing.

"Jesus, at least act a little bit polite. I am your ride."  
  
"And I never asked to be here in the first place. You coerced me into this. I can get out right now, Strider. You've got no fucking leverage over me." You say this yet he clearly does. The unspoken threat of his ability to off you in a moments notice hangs unnoticed in the air. But you might as well act confident. Like hell you're going to roll over and whine and whimper at his every command like a pathetic dog. You refuse to let Dave fucking Strider control your life. Even if you might die because of your damned hubris.  
  
He started the car and began pulling out of the sidewalk, shooting you a knowing smirk. "Alright, you're right. Buckle up, buttercup, we're goin' cruisin'."  
  
The car ride was full of tension that you'd really like to break but refrain from doing so. Instead, you crank up the radio that's playing some shitty top charts rap song. To occupy your mind, you focus your attention on the road he's leading you on.  
  
He had turned the car around and drove into downtown before completely passing over it after getting held up by a few red lights. He drove past everything you've become familiar with in the tiny town of Skaia, leaving the town almost entirely. The car slows down when it turned down a dirt road, rocks on the ground shaking the car every now and then. You've begun to feel nervous about the whole ordeal, cursing your past self for ever agreeing to this in the first place. Your past self was stupid for thinking that getting inside a car with a complete stranger is _exciting_. It's anything but _exciting._  
  
"Just where the hell are you taking me, Strider?" You snapped from your seat, trying your best not to anxiously play with the hem of your shirt. You don't want him to know that you're actually nervous; he'll laugh at you.  
  
"You know you can call me by my first name, Karcrabby."  
  
"And you can say my name properly."  
  
Smirk. "Touché, mister Vantas."

The car descends to silence again, the radio being just background noise to you at this point.  
  
Before long though, the forested area begins to thin out to reveal a large open space and an imposing Victorian like designed house comes into view. The sight was honestly breathtaking from an architectural standpoint. But you don't give a shit about that so you go back to your default scowl when you feared you had been eyeing the home in utter awe for a good few seconds.  
  
It's too late though. The blond had noticed. "You like it, Karkat? It's been here for generations, one of the few Victorian Era estate left standing up."  
  
"It's okay, I guess." You said, feigning disinterest.  
  
"Oh shit. That's like really high in the Karkat scale isn't it? Well, I'm touched that you at least don't completely hate the place because this is where I live." He stated, pulling up onto the side before completely turning the engines off.  
  
Taking another glance around the place, you have to admit that the place is pretty fucking rad. Dave continued to talk about the house as you stepped up into the porch. "Skaia used to be a large settlement back in the eighteen hundreds. There was a big gold rush around these parts, but when the gold ran out, most moved out. The ones who remain have strong ties to the history of the town."  
  
At the mention of the date, it only occurs to you now that you don't know how old Dave is exactly. You know he looks at least about your age, enough to be admitted into the school as a student. But with the new discovery that he's actually a vampire comes the question that you never considered before; how old is Dave Strider?

Looking at him now, you're hit with a strange feeling you can't quite place. It feels like sympathy- for what he must've seen and experienced. But there's also that nagging feeling of unfamiliarity. You don't know a thing about him. But you have the strongest urge to _want_ to know more.  
  
Dave fished his keys from the pockets of his too tight jeans. Seriously, what's with the blond's attachment to clothes that just barely fit him? You suppose it does accentuate his ass-  
  
And whoa there when the fuck did you start sneaking glances at his ass?  
  
It's not hard to admit. Dave is gorgeous from what you've seen. Pearly white skin peppered with a few freckles, symmetrical facial features, and bleached blond hair styled in a way that perfectly framed his face. If he had blue eyes, he'd be the dream everyone wishes to be. Hell, even if his eyes are strange, he's still something most people could only wish to be like.  
  
A snap in front of your face. "Earth to Karkles. You okay there, bud?" He inquired, brows furrowed behind that tacky eyewear he constantly totes around.  
  
You try to bite the hand that's just too close to your face and he quickly retracts it. "You're a biter, huh? That's pretty fucking hot dude." He drawled, that southern accent showing itself for the first time. But, you completely ignore his words.  
  
Instead, you focus your efforts into keeping your face as nonchalant as possible, denying the burning sensation creeping up from the tips of your ears. "Are you gonna fucking open the door, or not?" You snapped.

He chuckled lightly, barely audible as he twisted the key into the lock and pushed the door open. "I'm just saying, trying to bite my hand wouldn't have been my first instinct. I know you want a piece of this choice ass, but you gotta court me like a proper lady, 'kat."  
  
You're about to retort when a light airy voice pipes up from somewhere around the house. "You're far from being a proper lady, Dave."

You don't even get a chance to really examine the interior of the house because your attention is quickly snagged by a girl descending from the stairs. It's Rose Lalonde.  
  
But she looks almost unrecognizable. She was always wearing reserved clothes like sweaters and button-up shirts along with skirts and leggings. She covered most of her skin.  
  
But right now, in front of you, school council president Rose Lalonde wore a sleeveless black dress that hugged her body just right, with a slit in the skirt that showed off quite a bit of her legs. Jesus fucking christ, it's like you've just stepped into a fucking photo shoot for a model right now. To say that Rose is beautiful is an understatement. Her thick eyeliner could cut fuckin granite.  
  
At the sight of the two of you, Rose's dark lips curls into a haughty smile, smug and very reminiscent of her brother's own trademark smirk. Only hers looked more like a viper's, staring at her soon to be consumed prey.  
  
The girl clearly makes a point of looking her brother up and down, giving him a once over. "Definitely not in those clothes. Dave, why don't you go change into something more fitting while I have a lovely chat with our guest for today?" You suddenly don't want to be in the same room as Rose. Alone. She looked like she could chew you out and leave you a mess.  
  
Strider, in return, crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with my clothes? I can totally pull off the look. I pull off any look. Shit man, any clothes on me look good to matter what. I never asked to be the beautiful, but here I am, utterly pulling off the generic white kid in high school look like no one's ever pulled off before."

Rose looked unamused, and so were you. "Whatever you say, dear brother. I suppose you would need to have the ability to move around for where we're going."  
  
"Hell yeah, I do. You can go lookin' pretty with Roxy and the rest of the girls in the sidelines while I and Dirk do all the shitty dirty work."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "That was mildly sexist, and I'd reprimand you for it but since we have a guest waiting, I'll refrain from doing so."  
  
"So, are we goin' or what? You and the rest of the fam will have plenty of time to spend with shorty mcshouty over here." He quipped and you punch his shoulder hard for making fun of your height. And your tone of voice. "Ow- you're pretty fuckin violent too, goddamn. I wonder if the same can be said when you're in-"  
  
You put your hand over his mouth again. "Don't fucking finish that sentence you piss stain shit head." You growled before finally retracting your hand away from his face.  
  
Rose seemed to just watch the two of you, amusement clearly written all over her face. "Well then, if you're so eager, let's go." She shrugged, and somehow, she managed to make even that look elegant and sophisticated.

The blonde strolls past the both of you, heading out the door and making her way over to the car. You notice her take the backseat when she could've taken the front without any problems. You have a sneaking suspicion that she's scheming something. She seems like the type who would.  
  
You look over to Dave, who simply shrugged once again before following after her sister, taking the driver's seat once more. You're quick to follow, taking the back seat with Lalonde. She gave you an amused smile once again.  
  
"Nice of you to join me back here, Karkat." She stated, making a point of glancing over at the front seat beside Dave. She clearly expected you to take the passenger seat once again, but fuck her and whatever she has brewing inside that head of hers. You're not subjecting yourself to another awkward drive to wherever the fuck it is you're all going to.  
  
"Awww, you're gonna leave me all alone, Kitkat? How cold hearted of you." He whined, starting up the engines. You rolled your eyes at him.  
  
The ride turned out to be even more painfully awkward. Rose occasionally mocked Dave's driving, and they'd share quite the interesting banter, but after, the car would descend into an uncomfortable silence you're not sure how to deal with. Sometimes, Rose would give you these meaningful looks, as if she wants to say something, yet she never actually does.  
  
Thankfully, the drive doesn't take all that long at all. Strider leads you back near the town and into what looks like an old abandoned waterpark of all places. It's just outside of the town, forgotten by time.  
  
Rose is the first to exit the car, quickly making her way inside with no qualms about it. You, on the other hand, give Dave a confused look. He simply grinned over at you.  
  
"You'll get it when we head inside." Was all the explanation you manage to squeeze out of him. He offered his hand to you. "Now, shall we?"

You stared at his hand for a single moment before swatting it away and walking ahead of him.  
  
[You push your way inside and are pleasantly surprised at what lay before you.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrj-yPhrkPM)  
  
What would usually be the lobby of the waterpark was packed with various people at different tables that seemed to offer some sort of mixed drinks or questionable pieces of food. For the setting that this was in, you'd suspect that more than conventional ingredients were used in the creation of what was being handed out to the crowd.  
  
Lalonde was nowhere to be found though.  
  
It was dark inside, obvious strobe lights having been implanted to the ceiling above. You could hear the thumping of loud music from somewhere further within the place. But that was when Strider tapped you on the shoulder to grab your attention before pointing down a hallway in where you assumed the pool was supposed to be located at.  
  
You followed him to wherever it was he was taking you. He made a sharp turn into the boys changing room, where you're assaulted by the strong scent of smoke and what you assume to be is weed and other various illegal drugs being used. You wave the puffs of deadly smoke away from your face when Dave quickly grabs you by the arm, weaving your way among the various high people around you. You think you catch a glimpse of Gamzee. You're honestly not surprised if he's here too.  
  
Soon enough, the two of you break out of that god awful room full of reckless people with a death wish. You coughed a few times, your eyes burning from being exposed to such chemicals. But as soon as your eyes finally cleared up, you're more than surprised at what lay before you.

The whole room was dark, light cancelling blinds drawn over windows around the place. Various strobe lights were attached to the walls and ceiling, bright colourful lights moving about the huge room erratically. Loud, bass and drum heavy music were playing in the intercoms and a sea of people was milling about or dancing to the beat of the music. But what was impressive was the empty pool at the center, where a few white lights were centered around two people who seemed to be engaged in a fight. One was in a black t-shirt with vibrant amber blond hair holding what you think is a traditional Japanese katana.  
  
It slowly dawned upon you that the person fighting some other brute with another sword was Dirk Strider. And you're impressed by his fluid movements. The other Strider seemed to be having an easy time with his opponent, simply drawing out the fight and toying with the other. Like he could finish it at any moment but chooses not to simply because it was 'fun'.  
  
A bunch of other people were hanging around the edge of the empty pool, shouting and egging the fighters on.  
  
Dave's got a big stupid grin on his face, his shades pushed up to his head. Your chest ached to see his purely excited expression, and you're suddenly very aware of the warmth of his hand in yours and how close the two of you were standing.

"What do you think?" He leaned over and whispered into your ear so that you'd hear him over the music. And you hate that your mind narrowed in on the way his breath ghosted against your skin, leaving a trail of heat across your neck that spreads to your face and the tips of your ears.  
  
Your thoughts float back to the mark on your neck, your hand instinctively reaching over to touch the place where you've been bitten. You wonder briefly if it's still there or if it's healed over time.  
  
You turned towards him, shrugging your shoulders. "It's loud as fuck here!" You opted to shout, trying to overpower the noise all around you. It was strange, your heart was beating in rhythm with the beats of the current music playing. There's an overall rumbling feeling that surrounded you because of the overly loud music.  
  
You more so see him laugh rather than hear.  
  
"Yeah, it is!" He shouted over the music. The two of you stand there for a moment before he starts pulling your arm, weaving his way through the crowd. "C'mon, there are people that want to meet you!"  
  
You simply followed since there wasn't really anything else to do and protesting would just be stupid. You wonder who would want to meet you though.  
  
He led you to the shallow part of the pool, where the kids would usually stay at if there was water in the pool. It was a slow incline downwards and there are a few people milling about at the edges but nobody really goes any further, giving the two combatants space to move around freely.

Speaking of combatants, as soon as Dirk took notice of the two of them, keeping close to the wall, he was quick to finish the fight.  
  
He easily kicks the guy's thigh hard while their swords were clashing against each other, effectively making the other lose his balance just enough for the blond to take advantage of this is push his sword further until the other falls backwards hard on his ass, sword having been knocked off to the side.  
  
Dirk stands over the guy, the tip of the sword barely touching the guy's neck.  
  
Suddenly, a female in obnoxiously bright red clothes (is that a fucking red anime uniform??), steps up to the diving board that stands high above the deep end of the pool. The music noticeably turns down a few notches.  
  
"And that's a match! Reigning champion Dirk Strider wins!" The girl shouted in delight into a mic, her voice echoing off the walls, and you recognize that voice- was that Damara? No, it definitely is Damara. Of course, she'd be here, from what you know about her.  
  
After another moment passed of the blond standing over the poor terrified beaten opponent, he swished his sword away and smoothly slipped it back into its sheath before walking off the spotlight along with the other guy who scrambles to his feet and disappears into the crowd.  
  
The spotlights suddenly scatter around, moving throughout the room erratically just like the other colourful strobe lights around the room.  
  
"We're going into intermission people! And then we'll play the tournament for the night- I hear that we've got a special guest today that needs to be initiated into our ranks!" Damara continued to shout into the mic, her Japanese accent obvious in the way she spoke.

After that, the music slowly transitions to a more mellow, poppy sounding song, unlike the rock bass from before. You can actually hear people's chatter now instead of the constant beat of drums.  
  
Seeing him up close, you can't deny the resemblance between the three of the four siblings you've seen. But Dave did say that the Lalondes were just their adoptive sisters- you make a note to yourself to ask him about this later.  
  
"Finally, you make here. I thought I was gonna have to stall for your sorry ass for another ten minutes." Dirk said, sounding exasperated. You marvel at the fact that he doesn't sound tired at all from that battle. "I'm guessing this is the kid you fucked up on?"  
  
Dave seemed to cringe a little at the statement while the other pulled his pointy as fuck shades off his face and lets it hang from his shirt's neck. "Don't word it like that, man. He's on our side. He promised not to spill to his friends."

You’re really not- on their side, you mean. At least, not yet.  
  
"Hunter friends." He drawled, giving the other a pointed look, yellowish orange eyes glinting in the darkness. Seems like so far, every vampire you've met has got some sick glow in the dark eyes.  
  
Dave groaned at that, casually throwing an arm around you and pulling you close against him while you tried to quickly wriggle out of his grip. "Look, he's here. And so far, he's been sticking to our deal pretty fucking well. I think we can trust him."  
  
"We'll have to trust him either way. Since _someone_ slipped up and now there's no taking back that information." The other Strider sighed, and this conversation seems to tire him more than anything else. "Compulsion doesn't work on him, right?"

You perk up at this. "What the fuck is compulsion?"  
  
Their gaze falls on you and suddenly you feel uncomfortable under their scrutinizing eyes. "It's just a minor form of mind control. Only works on puny humans." Dave was quick to supply.  
  
"Unless you've been consuming vervain infused food items for food. It essentially makes your body immune to any compulsion from a vampire. Thank your friends for that." Dirk added. You're still confused.  
  
"Vervain? Why should I thank my friends?" You asked.  
  
Dirk once again gives the other Strider a pointed look, and it's really starting to get annoying. It's like they're having a secret conversation right in front of you.  
  
Dave sighed, arm still hanging loosely off your shoulder. You only noticed it again, only to have your attention pulled back to the two Striders. "Ugh, I know, I know. I'll give him a rundown on what he needs to know."  
  
Dirk simply nodded, seemingly satisfied with this answer. Then, he offered his hand to you. "Well, this is a less than desirable way to meet each other, but as you probably already know, I'm Dirk, Dave's older brother."  
  
"By a few minutes." The other blond was quick to pipe up and point out. Dirk rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. Karkat Vantas." You introduce yourself, taking his hand giving a quick and firm handshake with the other.  
  
Dirk once again faces his sibling, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Alright. I'm gonna go grab some water. You should catch Roxy somewhere around here soon enough- just make sure it's before the intermission is over." He stated, giving you a wary look before finally moving past the two of you and disappearing into the crowd.  
  
You wonder what that look was for.  
  
But you don't get to wonder for long because the remaining Strider is steering you away once more, arms still flung around your shoulder. Once again, you struggled to get away but he seems pretty set on keeping the two of you like this.  
  
The two of you wander around, pushing past crowds until you come across the other side of the room, another stand that's giving out drinks in a red solo cup.  
  
A blonde catches your attention, and only then does Dave finally let go of you in favour of trying to get his sister's attention by raising his arms and widely waving them around instead of just calling her over like a normal human being-  
  
Right. Vampire.

Anyways, to this effectively does its job of catching the other Lalonde's attention. The girl, Roxy Lalonde, also looked strikingly different than when you see her at school- which is usually in a cheerleader uniform. But right now, she was wearing a long-sleeved fishnet shirt with a white off the shoulder t-shirt over it to cover her top. To partner this up, she seemed to be wearing leather jeans, if the shine when the lights hit her are anything to go by.  
  
Her make-up was also darker than usual, enough to rival's Rose's, only she had a bit more colour with her hot pink eyeshadow. The girl bounced up and over to them, a skip to her step and a drink in hand. "Davey! You made it!"  
  
Dave clearly bristled at the unfortunate nickname. "Roxanne. Glad to see you aren't blackout drunk yet."  
  
She giggled at this, punching his arm lightly. "Rude much? How am I going to enjoy the upcoming tournament if I'm drunk outta my brain? I'm saving that shit for _after_ midnight."  
  
You've been hearing a lot about this tournament, but you have no fucking idea what any of this is for anyway. You voice this concern. "What the hell is the tournament for?"

Roxy turned her attention to you, face still beaming. Her wide smile reminded you of Terezi's, in the way that it seems like nothing in the world could ever wipe if off her face. "You must be the Karkat we've all been hearing about! It's nice to finally meet you, hun!" She greeted you enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around you with pulling you close to kiss each side of your cheeks. You freeze on the spot, unsure what to do, but before you could even react, she's pulling away and knocking her drink back, draining it in one go.  
  
You turn to Strider, who shrugged.  
  
"So, are either of you going to answer me or what? What the fuck is this place for and what the hell is the tournament about?" You repeat your previous question, growing impatient and crossing your arms.  
  
Roxy giggled. "This whole place," She waved her hand around the place to emphasize her point, "is called The Den." She supplied.  
  
"It's where people go to to have some illegal fun. As you've already witnessed, there's a wide variety of fucked up people. The whole spectrum of fucked up-ness  
can be found here. From your local druggies, to underage drinking, and of course, the main event- strifing." Dave added. You've vaguely heard of the term before, and you know it has negative connotations along with its name, but you're still unsure as to what it really is.  
  
"Strifing? What the fuck is that?" You questioned, and Roxy laughs, much like a maniac. She's beginning to remind you more and more like Pyrope.

"Strifing is an illegal activity across the whole state. It's usually an underground knowledge type of thing- not many normal folks actually know what the hell it is so your lack of knowledge is totally understandable." The slightly tipsy girl started. "It's another activity most gangs participate in. Strifing, or to strife, simply means a duel between two individuals with a weapon of their choice. It can be anything from sickles to double pistols. Hell, ya wanted, you can take a rake to a sword fight if you really wanted. Any fighting style is open to being used too."  
  
"It's a basically just two people fighting without many rules." Dave summarized, patting your head. You push him away from you, which doesn't do shit and only seemed to make the Strider pull you in closer against him. "The fight only ends when one of the combatants is incapacitated or concedes."  
  
The descriptions make you shiver. Pointless violence? What is entertaining about that? "Sounds like a shitty way to entertain yourself."  
  
He chuckled. "Yeah, I know, it's stupid. But in a sleepy town with not much else to do, bored teenagers _will_ find shitty way to entertain themselves."  
  
"Anyways, how're you finding everything so far, Karkat? Exciting? Overwhelming?" Roxy beamed, awaiting your response expectantly.  
  
Honestly? You're not quite sure how you feel about everything. You're not really afraid of being busted by the police- god knows how inactive the officers are in this damned town-, but you're not completely comfortable in a place full of illegal activities going down left and right either. So, you shrug your shoulders. "It's okay I guess? Not my type of scene though."  
  
Lalonde pats your head, still grinning like an idiot. "Well, you might enjoy the tournament! It's starting in..." She checks the watch on her wrist. "Five minutes actually!"

Again, you look to Strider. "What's the tournament about?" He simply grinned knowingly at you instead of answering in any substantial way.  
  
"You'll find out soon enough. Speaking of which! We gotta go, Rox. You know what's about to go down and I gotta get Kitkat here the best seat to watch the tournament in." He began to steer you into the crowd once more.  
  
The girl simply waved as they left, shouting, "nice to meet you, Vantas!" To yours and Dave's retreating form.  
  
You shoot Strider a questioning look. "What the fuck do you mean 'find me the best seat to watch'?"  
  
He shushed you. "Fewer questions and more walking. There's a grand royal seat with your name on it on the other side of the pool."  
  
You were about to protest, but the meaningful look he gave you made all your words die at the tip of your tongue. "Fine." You muttered as he continued to weave your way all the way around.  
  
There's a tiny booth with one side that faced the pool completely unobstructed by the curtains all around it. You notice that there's a lack of people anywhere near it, and you also notice that Rose and Dirk seem to be standing by, somewhat looking like they're guarding it. The girl noticed the pair of you first, a smile creeping up across her dark lips.  
  
"Finally. You better hurry up and get ready. You've only got a few more minutes to spare." Rose stated coolly, glancing your way. "And don't worry your little head about Karkat here. We'll take care of him."  
  
"Wait, what the fuck is going on?!" You inquired, nervousness overtaking your senses at the fact that you have no goddamn idea what's about to go down.

Rose seemed to give Dave an amused expression before she takes your wrist, her grip firm but not painful. She pulled you away from Strider's side.  
  
Dave seemed to roll his eyes behind his shades before nodding and disappearing into the crowd. "You better not put a scratch on him, Lalonde!" You can hear his voice from somewhere among the crowd, but you can't see any signs of a tuff of blond hair.  
  
You pointed your glare over to the Lalonde girl currently holding you hostage. ["What the fuck is happening?"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35VE9WykH1c)  
  
She seemed to chuckle, but you can't hear it over the loud dance music playing in the background. "I wonder why David never told you. Well, I might as well explain things before this gets any more complicated or before you try anything."  
  
You simply continued to glare her way.  
  
"Since you're a guest of the Stri-Lalonde's, you're sort of treated as a VIP around here. We know the owner of this whole organization, Damara Megido- and she insists in doing an 'initiation ritual' for newcomers. John and Jade went through it." She explained slowly. "You get to sit in the royal seat right in there," She gestured to the booth, "and watch the tournament fight for your hand."  
  
You look at her, dumbfounded at the mention of 'tournament for your hand'. "What in christ's name do you mean 'for my hand'?!"  
  
She seemed to be thoroughly amused by your reactions. Maybe you should stop blowing up, she clearly finds this all too entertaining. "It's like this,- the tournament treated as a sort of medieval ritual with heavy medieval themes. Ever heard of those fight to death tournaments back in the time for that hand of the princess in marriage? You're the princess in this situation, Karkat."

Still, you stare at her wide-eyed. "What."  
  
She grinned. "Don't worry, the prize at the end for your end is just a kiss on the hand and bragging rights the rest of the night." Her smile turned into one that was mildly terrifying with how wicked she looked wearing it. "Plus, my brother joined the tournament for this reason so there's no one else that gets to you. His skills are almost on par with Dirk's."  
  
"Little man still has yet to beat me though." The other piped up, smirking, and god, do all of them share the ability to look like a complete douchebag when smirking like that?  
  
You focus your attention on Rose though. "Is that supposed to make me feel better about this whole twisted cluster fuck of a predicament you've all forced me into? Because it's really not helping. Like, at all."  
  
The girl simply giggled, a light sound, almost like music to your ears. "Calm down, Karkat. Just loosen up a little and have fun. C'mon, take a seat, the tournament's about to begin."  
  
You grumble and follow after the female into the curtains inside the small little booth. It's not like you can do much other than bitch and whine about your current situation. You have a feeling these two will stop at nothing to keep you holed up inside the little booth.  
  
All three walls comprised of dark red velvet curtains, but one side, the side that looks out to the pool, was wide open. If you wanted to commit suicide right now, you could jump from this height and down into the tiled floor of the deep end of the pool and be done with it all.  
  
Of course you don't do that. You're not that stupid. Instead, you take a seat on the comfy leather chair supplied to you and only now do you realize how much your ankles are burning from standing and walking around for hours. But by looking down, you do realize that the tiles below the booth were painted grey to look like a tower spiraling up and the pointed design of the booth was supposed to finish emulating that theme.

Great. You're actually a princess inside a tower, waiting to be rescued by whoever dumb fuck wins the tournament with a bunch of other dumb fucks. What has your life turned to?  
  
Apparently, sexy vampires taking you to an illegal den where underage drinking, drug use and 'strifing' is prevalent, and then being dubbed as a special guest because said vampires know the owner and said batshit insane owner wants to welcome you with an initiation ritual that turns you into a princess while brutes with weapons fight below you for your 'hand'. Are you keeping up? Good. You a have a feeling your life is about to get more complicated after this.

The same girl from before, Damara (who is, in fact, wearing a bright red Japanese high school outfit), comes up to the diving board once more and addressed the crowd. The music completely died out this time and the white spotlights surged forward to stand on her, guaranteeing everyone’s attention was on her. “Alright people! Let’s hear for the tournament!” She shouted into the mic, voice booming across the whole room.

The girl then extended her arms, mic still in hand, as the crowd absolutely lost their collective shit and cheered like they’ve never cheered before in their life. You’re actually beginning to worry about losing your hearing after this whole ordeal is over.

“Before we get started, let’s meet our princess for tonight!” She pointed her mic to your direction and suddenly, all the lights move towards you, flooding you with blinding light. You freeze on the spot, staring out at the crowd that stared back you.

This isn’t doing your anxiety any favours. In fact, you might just throw up right now.

But thankfully, you don’t and all you could offer is a dumb numb wave. The lights immediately surged back to the girl as she recited the rules of the tournament by heart.

And then, she calls up the first fighters. You weren’t paying attention until the announcer shouts “Dave Strider!” a little too enthusiastically.

The blond prick steps into the ring, the white spotlight following his every step. Then, he pulled his shades up, waving around to the crowd until you meet his eyes.

You breathe out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. His hand paused from waving to the crowd, hanging up beside his face awkwardly as he stared back at you. And for a moment, it was just the two of you, in a trance-like state. His eyes were beautiful.

And then, the spell was broken when he smirked that same familiar smirk you’ve seen him tote around ever since you met him. He hides his eyes with his shades once more after that.

And you’re left there, trying to suppress the idiotic smile creeping up your face. You lean back into the couch, looking away from Strider.

“Let’s go!” Damara shouted into the mic once again. “Match! Begin!”


	5. The Tournament

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if my action scenes make absolutely no sense ;; I'll try to get a drawing up in the next few days to accompany the description so it'd make more sense.
> 
> Pls dont h8 me :')

_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

    - [Chasing cars, Snow Patrol](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaKr98ktoxU)

 

[As soon as Damara finished the last syllable, Strider's opponent was quick to engage in combat.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnVdkVNrtGs) The loud crashing of metal on metal can be heard from your perch inside the booth. Thrilling fast paced instrumental music was playing lowly in the background. Everyone was crowding around the edges of the pool, eager to watch.  
  
At this point, Rose and Dirk had taken a spot of standing on either side of you, with Rose resting a hand on your leather seat. "Isn't it kind of unfair to pit him against humans? I mean, I'm assuming you guys have the super strength and shit that comes along with vampirism." You inquired, glancing up at Rose for a brief moment.  
  
Her smile was borderline predatory. "Well, yes, but it isn't supernatural strength. Our abilities are just the the peak potential a normal human can achieve. Although to others, I suppose it seems supernatural. But like you've seen, we can be mortally wounded, in the case of my unlucky brother below." She explained, waving a hand airily. "I wouldn't underestimate you, humans, very much. I've witnessed what humanity is capable of, both good and bad, trust me, you are just as terrifying as we are to you. We've only survived thus far through experience and a little bit of luck."  
  
Nodding, satisfied with that answer, you turn back to the fight. The fight has already ended with Strider holding the other man around with his arm behind his back while Dave's blade was pressed to his throat. "These are just the easy fights," Dirk commented.

Rose nodded, agreeing. "He's right. There are those who have been doing this for years and has managed to bring themselves to peak physique. After all, some of these fighters grew up in gangs. They're basically trained to do this sort of thing as soon as they're able to walk."  
  
Gangs? The thought made you shudder. You hadn't taken into account that there may be real danger around this place. Even though your town was small, only housing about eleven thousand people, there are bound to be some outcasts that don't fit anywhere. And those outcasts tend to attract other outcasts and before you know it, they've created an organized group that deals in illegal things.  
  
Things have been peaceful around your town for quite a while now, but that was just thanks to the fact that the police force is corrupt and any investigations against the biggest gang group (they call themselves the midnight crew) are essentially dropped before the day even ends on the same day it was first assigned.  
  
But being with Dave... you felt a sense of safety around him. And seeing him fight, movements fluid and almost graceful, as he dodges attacks, only served to fuel the warm feeling inside your chest. He looked almost ethereal, as if he was in his element, fighting like that. He looks almost beautiful.

And the little victory smile he shows you after he wins a match, no matter how hard, makes your stomach twist a certain, uncomfortable way. You don’t like the feeling at all.

The next few fights fly by easily. Some pitting Strider against increasingly more and more experienced fighters, while some were just humans against humans,- strangers to you. Most of the strifing is a blur to you.  
  
[Except for when Roxy Lalonde steps up to the battle.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6BbvCC0VI0) Both Dirk and Rose seemed to be surprised by this turn of events.  
  
Roxy's demeanour changed from her usual bubbly, slightly drunk state. Instead, she holds a double pistol in her hand, looking confident and focused. Dave steps up against her, holding his broadsword with a perfect stance. He seemed to have hung his shades on his shirt for this match, opting to stare at his sister straight in the eye for this battle.  
  
Your heart began to beat irregularly fast, and now you're actually focused on the fight happening. You're curious how well these siblings go against each other in a fight. Even Rose and Dirk seemed to watch the show with rapt attention. You're more curious to see as to how a sword can go up against pistols.  
  
Damara eyed the two of them, holding her mic and prolonging the start of the battle. "Match!" She shouted, then a pause. "Begin!" She brings her hand down with the mic and for the first time, Dave takes the first initiative move, running to the bubbly girl's right side as she fired a rain of bullets on him, each one bouncing off the already tiled wall full of bullet holes.

He swung his sword as for an offensive move but Roxy, with swift reflexes, ducks under the blade while Dave is left wide open around his abdomen for Roxy to punch him in the gut with the butt of her pistol, sending the other stumbling for just a second before he easily gains his balance once again.  
  
Roxy pointed her pistols and seemed to realize that it's out of ammo just as Dave runs straight for her, blade at the ready. She casually throws them behind her back, the items quickly forgotten. You briefly think that you wish you could see their expressions, but being so high up and with how fast the actions were going, it's hard clearly see each movement, much less their faces. They sometimes appear like a blur to you with their speed.  
  
Roxy once again dodged off the side as she pulled two blades from the sheaths on either side of her calves. You didn't notice it until then.  
  
Dave continued for a second attack, bringing his sword down on her as soon as he adjusted his aim to face her, but Roxy was quick to bring her blades up in a crisscross to take the attempted blow to her head.

The two of them stand at a stalemate for a long while, Strider trying to push his sword forward and Lalonde leaning backwards slightly from the effort of keeping her blades in a defence position.  
  
And then, in one swift motion, Roxy dislodged one of her blades just as she stumbled forwards and slightly off to the side from the sudden loss of momentum from the previous stance she was in just as Dave's blade came down on where she was previously standing. But before Dave could bring his sword back up for another blow, Roxy comes back up from her awkward stance, bringing her arm up with her, her blade just grazing his cheek and using the momentum from the action, to cartwheel sideways away from the other for a quick retreat. All of this happened in a span of a second. That if you blinked, you would've missed it.  
  
She drew first blood.  
  
This is significant since in all of Dave's previous fights, he'd have no problem dodging attacks, especially close combat. He'd barely gotten injured at all, falling on his ass a few times but easily jumping back up for a rather fatal offensive blow.  
  
You barely register the fact that you're literally at your seat's edge as you struggled to _see_ more, your body hunched forward as if doing that would make seeing the two figures fighting become any clearer. You also barely register the fact that you're holding your breath until you had to consciously start breathing through your nose again. Among the things you barely register while watching the strife is the fact that your nails were digging into the plush leather of your seat.

It goes on like this for quite a while, the two exchanging hits at almost light speed from your point of view. Dave managed to snag one of Roxy's legs, leaving a long cut along her thigh when she had just been a tad slow to dodge his attack. And in turn, Roxy slashed a line through his shirt, leaving a shallow wound across his abdomen when he got his weapon got knocked aside by one of Roxy's kicks.  
  
They had retreated apart for a moment after Dave retrieved his weapon again and you think you see his lips moving before Roxy was quick to try another offensive attack on him. You could already guess what he would be saying.  
  
_"Awe, seriously? You just had to ruin the shirt. This was my favorite shirt."_  
  
You do noticeably notice that the two were slowly running out of stamina. Whoever makes a mistake first will probably lose this battle.  
  
And it turns out to be Roxy Lalonde, when Dave had effectively knocked over of her blades away from her using the butt of his sword. The split-second shock that crosses the girl enabled the other to also knock out her other weapon.  
  
Dave was quick to advance in on his sister, blade pointed at her abdomen, ready to stab through her body, but stopping as Damara climbed up back up to the diving board.  
  
"And that's a match! Our winner is none other than Dave Strider!" She claps her hands for a moment as Roxy and Dave shake hands, smiling good-naturedly. "Annnnnnnnd that's the ending for this tournament! Our official winner is Dave Strider, everyone!" All the spotlights once again surge forward to focus on the two siblings.

You freeze up on the spot, watching Roxy take her brother's hand and raise it up as a collective whoop of the crowd over takes the music once again. You must've been dozing off when they announced that this was the final battle because this takes you by complete surprise, something that was on neither of your two companion's faces.  
  
[His gaze immediately lands on you and your heart immediately skips a beat. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewGbdVpEPVM)  
  
Rose is smirking knowing while Dirk looked like a proud father watching his two children graduate.

Once the two of them were done gawking at their two other halves, they lead you out from the booth just as Strider and Roxy disappear into the sea of people, leaving the arena.

Well, they don’t exactly disappear as the crowd parts all until the pair of them reach you, the spotlight staying on them, and now, you too, now that they come closer to you.

You stared at Dave for a moment as he stared back at you. He didn’t look half bad, just a long slice on his cheek, blood having dried long ago. And then there was the long cut on his chest and his shredded t-shirt showing off ivory white skin underneath. Your eyes trail along the wound, starting just below his chest, down to the stomach, and to his waistline...

You quickly bring your eyes back up to meet his, but he’s already smirking smugly, probably having noticed just where you were staring. You fight back the blush burning its way on your cheeks.

He steps forward, and you stay in place. You don’t know when the other siblings have backed off, leaving just the two of you under the spotlight.

And then you realize all the eyes on you and you fight to keep the trembling away from your hands, trying to stand tall. But Dave must’ve noticed your sudden rigid stance and eyes flickering about at all the people staring at you because he grabs your hand and slowly gets you to unclench your hand to slip his into yours.

“Hey. It’s okay. Just focus on me.” He tells you in an infuriatingly soft tone. But you do as he said to calm your nerves. You meet his vibrant crimson eyes, following his movements as he knelt before you.

You hold your breath as he held your hand and brought it close to his lips. It was quick and brief, just a peck on your hand. Yet it feels like the spot where he had touched you was on fire, sending jolts of electricity through you and making the tips of your fingers tingle.

He was right. You forgot that there was ever a crowd watching the two of you.

 

___x___

  
The crowd had erupted into a symphony of cheers, wolf whistles, and clapping. Your face had turned bright red, much to your dismay. There was no hiding it so you had just stared at the floor, refusing to look at anywhere else, standing idly by like a statue.  
  
[That was of course before Strider had grabbed your arm and pulled you along with him past the crowd. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCOF9LN_Zxs)

He led you away from the sea of people with their stares and their incoherent words. The two of you passed by the boy's locker room, noting how there are less people crowding the chemical infested room. This time though, you had enough foresight to hold your breath while you passed by all the red-eyed strangers. Before long, the two of you were barreling down the familiar hallway from earlier, with you having to run to catch up to Dave's long-legged strides.

He had brought you out of the building and to the front parking. It looked a little more sparse than the first time you had entered the vicinity. Now that you thought about it, what time is it?  
  
You don't have much time to ponder this, or even really check your phone because Dave was pulling you along back to the car. Finally, you voice your protests.  
  
You hadn't before because you were glad that he was taking you out of a terribly humiliating situation, but at the same time, you hate being clueless as to what the other was doing.

Especially after he failed to mention the fact that he was going to be subjected to that kind of humiliation. You already know he's not going to let you live down the title of 'princess'.  
  
"Dave, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" You snapped, pulling your hand away from his grip. He easily lets you go, simply turning away and opening the trunk of the car.  
  
There was a long moment of silence, the sounds of rummaging and crickets filling the air around them before Strider paused from his search to finally look up at you. His shades was still hanging from his torn shirt so it was quite the sight to see him smile genuinely for the first time, even if it was just for a split second before it goes back to that default smirk.  
  
You raised an eyebrow, and cross your arms across your chest.  
  
"You just called me by my first name, Kitten." He drawled, clearly proud of this small feat.  
  
You could feel your cheeks burn instantly at the realization. "Yeah, I fucking said it. You got a problem with that, _Dave_ ?" You had said instead, owning up to the fact that you had let slip calling him by his first name.  
  
He offered you a casual shrug. "Nothing, Karkat." He made a point of calling you by your name and have to bite your tongue to focus your attention away from your rapidly beating heart. "I just find it amusing that you're finally calling me by my name all of a sudden."  
  
He quickly goes back to rummaging around his trunk when you couldn't offer a good enough retort back. You simply huff in annoyance.  
  
"You never answered my question." He looked up at you once more before waving around a spare t-shirt as if that explained everything.  
  
It... actually did.

He begins to casually pull his shirt over his head, making sure to fit his shades back on his face first. You find yourself staring at his bare chest. He had multiple scars across his skin, some faded, some permanently etched onto his body. His shoulders were broad and his body was lean, muscle obvious on his abdomen and around his arms.  
  
"Inspecting me for boyfriend material, Karkles?" He had teased, bringing you out of your thoughts and making you bring your gaze elsewhere. Y'know, you never really looked up enough to just admire the stars.  
  
You hear him chuckle. "Don't assume shit, shit eating ass hat." You retorted, still keeping your eyes off of Strider as he changed his clothes. "I was just curious. You have a lot of scars."  
  
There was a silence that settled between the two of you. Enough to finally make you look back up at him. He was decent now, black sweater covering his body. You realize only now that it's quite chilly out here at the sight of the sweater.  
  
Dave pulled a second hoodie from the trunk, this one a dark muted shade of red, and you were quick to pull it on you. It hung around your frame loosely, clearly oversized for your body. But you simply snuggle further into it, enjoying the warmth it provided against the cool breeze passing by.  
  
The silence persisted as Dave went back to searching into the trunk once more (seriously, what the fuck is he hiding inside that thing?) and produced a fluffy blanket from inside.

He quietly laid the blanket over the hood of the car before pulling himself over and laying comfortably down on top of it. He pats the open space beside him.  
  
Warily, you climbed the car along with him, hearing the small squeak as you settle your weight down on it. "Won't it like, dent the hood or something?" You questioned.  
  
"Nah. It's fine. We could always get a new car." He said flippantly, interlacing his fingers together and rested atop his stomach. "So, I know you've got questions. Now's your chance for more answers, Vantas."  
  
"While we watch the night sky for stars. How romantic of you." You had said it sarcastically, but you settled into place anyway and made yourself comfortable.  
  
"What can I say? I have my moments."  
  
You rolled your eyes and decide to just get right to asking the questions. "So. How old exactly are you?"  
  
Dave turned his head to look at you, expression feigning hurt. "You can't just ask a vampire how old he is." You silently appreciate the attempt for a reference.  
  
"Are you gonna answer or do I have to remind you about our deal?"  
  
He made a childish 'hmph' noise. "Fine. I was originally born in eighteen thirty-four. You do the math."  
  
You do the mental math as instructed. "One hundred and eighty-three?"  
  
He huffed. "God, you make me feel so fucking old. Thanks a lot, Sherlock."

You actually let out a quiet chuckle. He turned his head to face you, flicking his shades above his head to emphasize his surprise at hearing you laugh for the first time. Heat rushed to your face once again. "So you can laugh. I was starting to think you were an emotionless android. A loud, short, angry emotionless android. I mean, dude, you'd be a hot android and I'd totally be down to bang a robot if it looked like you."  
  
You groaned loudly, draping an arm over your eyes. "Does your ass ever get jealous with the amount of shit you spew out of your fucking mouth?"  
  
When you receive no answer, you lift your arm and take a peek at him only to find him smiling serenely as he stared up at the sky above them. Something in your chest clenches hard, making you lose your breath for a moment.  
  
A comfortable silence falls between the two of you as you shifted your arm to rest on your forehead instead, allowing you to stare up at the same sky as Dave.  
  
"How does it feel?" You find yourself asking, voice barely above a whisper.  
  
He made a humming noise that that sounded more like a question. "Hmmn?"  
  
"To be immortal and shit. Y’know."  
  
Pause. "We're not really immortal, _y'know_ . I almost died multiple times before. Once with a dude that tried to stab me in the heart just as we were doing the do. Another time when this chick, a hunter, almost cut my head off. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Dirk, Roxy and Rose."  
  
You spared a glance his way to find his expression blank as he spoke. "That sucks." Is all that you manage to get out.  
  
"But to answer your question; being immortal fuckin' sucks balls. You have so much responsibility in trying to make sure you're inconspicuous and there are always people out there who want your head on a silver platter for having an extended lifespan than you were meant to. It's isolating. Lonely."

You find yourself holding your breath as you listened to him speak. Your mind wanders back to the multitudes of scars across his skin. You wonder how many battles he's had to fight through.  
  
"Would you go back?" The words were soft and gentle, so very unlike you. You were loud and harsh.  
  
He turned his head to meet your gaze, piercing red eyes looking through you. You find your heart skipping a beat again.

And then he turned away, looking back up at the cloudless sky and you fight back the feelings of disappointment. "Most people would probably say no. Well, most humans would when asked with the question if they wanted to be a super badass immortal sexy vampire only to revert back to being a boring old human, all frail and fragile and shit. But if you ask any us who actually have to live with the fact that we _can't_ continue living without consuming blood to retain our abilities, it's hard to say no to the idea of going back to simpler times when you don't have to worry about much else other than making sure to pay your taxes and shit." He rambled on, but for once, his words weren't complete and utter horse shit.

“What about you?” You heard him speak again. You furrowed your brows and looked over at the blond.

“What do you mean what about me?” You inquired.

“I mean,” He sighed. “Why are you living all alone in that big house of yours? Doesn’t it get lonely for you too?”

You find your eyes widening in slight surprise. You hadn’t expected that question. “What makes you think I’m just gonna vomit to you my life story?” You spat, although, you didn’t really mean the words.

He made a groaning noise. “C’mon Karkat. I’m baring my heart to you right now. Can’t you do the same?”

“That wasn’t in our deal.” You simply bring up once more. But you find that you just keep talking. “But, it’s been a while since I last talked about it. I guess it wouldn’t be so bad to tell you a little.”

He had now turned to give you his full attention, and it made you more than a little self-conscious to be scrutinized. “My older brother, Kankri, he left as soon as he turned eighteen. He’s never come back since then. Not even for mom’s funeral. I was fourteen, turning fifteen when the accident happened.” You explained a little, fiddling with the straps on around the hoodie.

“That sucks.” He said quietly as well. “Must’ve been really lonely. Being alone in a house for two years? It must’ve been hard.”

“Yeah, I guess it was.” You mutter to yourself, remembering walking around empty rooms that used to be filled with such joy and noise. Empty rooms where a lively bedroom used to be. The kitchen, the living room… They became spaces that were far too big for your liking. You remember the thick anxiety that would pool around your stomach, rising to your lungs, and drowning you. You closed your eyes, telling yourself that you weren’t going to cry. Not in front of a blank-faced douche bag. “It really was.”

You feel a warm hand on your shoulder, gentle yet firm. Solid. It brings you back from the memories of before. “I get it. The loneliness that eats you up alive- I understand. You’re not there, anymore, are you?” His voice was so soft it made your stomach do flips inside of you. “You’re here.” He knocks on the metal of the car, the noise grounding you to reality. “With me.”

You dared to look at him. He’s pulled his shades over his head, bright red eyes glowing faintly in the dark with the kindest smile you’ve ever seen him wear. But it doesn’t reach his eyes. The years he’d told you he’s lived for was suddenly very clear in his facial expression. That worn out quality- tiredness.

He shifted closer to you, shoulders barely touching. You could feel his heat beside you under the cold chill of the night. If you shifted your hand just an inch, you’d touch his hand. You let your little finger twitch, and slowly, you found your pinky finger loosely hooked around his own. You suddenly found it very hard to breathe.  
  
You let his words sink in for a moment as you gazed up at the sky once more.  
  
It really was pretty, the night sky. Things most people take for granted, along with a million other things in their lives. For once, you appreciate the fact that you live in a rural part of the world where there isn't as much light pollution to block out the stars. They twinkle and you trace constellations you can remember Kankri teaching you when you were younger.

Another question popped up into your mind, but you were a little embarrassed to ask it. Actually, you were a lot embarrassed to ask the question.  
  
Instead, you let the silence settle between the two of you.  
  
At some point, you must've closed your eyes and dozed off because the next time you open your eyes, you were being shaken awake by Dave, whose shades are back in place.  
  
"It's time to go, sleeping beauty." He told you and you had both crawled out of the top of the hood. He took the blanket the both of you were using and easily folded it up before he moved to hide it back in the trunk of the car.  
  
The only seat left was the passenger seat as the three other siblings have all piled into the back seat. You have a sneaking suspicion that this was all planned.  
  
Still, you didn't put up much of a fight against where you sat. You were honestly tired from everything that had occurred tonight that you just wanted to get home and curl up into your warm blankets and continue your interrupted sleep.  
  
You fished for your phone from your pocket to check the time, yawning in the process. Three thirty-nine, it read. You bit your lower lip, cursing at the amount of sleep you're only going to get before your usual alarm goes off and you have to get ready for school. It's only Tuesday and you groaned.  
  
The ride back wasn't terribly long. It seemed like everyone else inside the car was tired too. You didn't even know that vampires _could_ get tired. But right there, in the back seat at the far right was Roxy Lalonde, dozing off and leaning on her sister. Even Dirk seemed to be at the brink of sleep himself, almost leaning on Rose on a few occasions you bothered to glance at them. But you couldn't really tell, with his shades and all blocking his facial features much like with Dave's.

Even Dave the driver for the night has yawned a couple of times. But before you can worry about him falling asleep on the wheel, he's taken you straight back home.  
  
You climbed out of the car and watched Dave lean over to where you had previously been sitting and rolls the window down. "What, no goodnight kiss for me?" He teased.  
  
"Go suck someone else's dick, Strider."  
  
"Aww, Kitkat, why you gotta demote to Strider again?"  
  
"Because you're being an ass." You snapped. "Now, goodnight or whatever and get back to driving."  
  
You trudge your way back up to your porch, glancing back once to watch the black car pull out from your driveway and speed away. You sighed and shook your head, telling yourself that Strider is an asshole that you've only known for a short week.  
  
Your chest totally doesn't ache now that it's sunk in that everything has ended.  
  
You think back to your evening as you got undressed and dressed for bed. You suppose that it had been quite fun, and maybe you didn't make the most of the night, but there's always a next time.  
  
You stop as you were pulling a fresh new shirt over your head. Next time? Do you want a next time?  
  
And the answer is yes. You do want to go out into the night with a vampire and do reckless teenager things before you're old enough and mature enough to regret your life decisions. Because you're seventeen, with one year left in high school before you go off to college. At this point, you won't have much to regret in your teen years.

You continue to debate the topic in your head all the way until you reach your comfortable bed. It's soft and warm and it's home.  
  
You dispelled all the unwanted thoughts that might keep you up the rest of the night out of your head. Instead, you close your eyes and drift off into a dreamless sleep.


	6. Meeting

_Lover, hunter, friend and enemy_

_You will always be every one of these_

_Lover, hunter, friend and enemy_

_You will always be every one of these_

_Nothing's fair in love and war_

    - [Love and war, Fleurie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwPO9Pg39eU)

 

[As expected, your alarm went off at precisely six am.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAYJwKU81Iw) Enough time to let you get ready and walk to school before it started at seven thirty. Schools seemed to be starting up earlier and earlier these days.  
  
You did your daily routine, took a shower first, then brushed your teeth whilst you stared at your own dead grey eyes, and then got dressed. This all took approximately thirty minutes. The other thirty was spent making and failing at breakfast yet again along with taking your daily dosage of pills. Seriously, after two years of living alone, wouldn't you have learned how to cook a simple omelette by then? This is just embarrassing.  
  
Once finished with that, you return your plate to your empty sink and prepare to face the day. You left your home earlier than usual as you planned to make a quick detour to grab yourself a cup of coffee. God knows you need it to function on three hours of sleep.  
  
Stupid Strider.  
  
Stupid 'Den'.  
  
Stupid conversations at two in the morning with a prick that was actually slowly getting some substantial personality and character instead of just being an empty husk of assholery like you had thought he was the first time he transferred at the start of your junior year.  
  
Stupid, stupid Strider.

  
The rest of the morning was a blur to you. You got your things from your locker, Terezi seemed to be avoiding you for your sake, although Nepeta and Feferi both asked you why you never joined them at lunch yesterday. You had given them some half assed excuse before heading to your homeroom.  
  
Normally, you wouldn't care about the morning announcements. But today, your teacher actually had something worth knowing.  
  
It was your 'Annual Cabin Fever Road Trip'.  
  
What is the ACFRT? It's basically a weekend long trip starting at Friday morning where you and the rest of the people who wanted to come along the trip all pack into buses and endure around three to four hours of road tripping while the teachers attempted to get a bunch of sixteen to seventeen year olds to sing stupid road trip songs. Sophomores and juniors were allowed to tag along simply because the school rents out the whole lakeside and the cabins and they need extra bodies to fill in those spaces. But the whole trip is mostly dedicated to seniors graduating that year.

The whole thing ends around afternoon on a Monday where you all pack in back into the buses and arrive back at school grounds around six to seven pm.  
  
It's a pretty cool tradition, actually. You had went on the trip twice before and it wasn't all that bad. The buses were the fancy air-conditioned ones since almost a everyone  in the whole school participates and there's an entrance fee of thirty dollars. That's a lot of money from about two hundred to three hundred students.

Now you've got something exciting to look forward to, since it happens next friday.  
  
Tavros, an friend of yours, although not a close one, still a friend, turns back to you with a sheepish grin. "Are you going again, Karkat?"  
  
"Fuck yeah I am." You reply, raising your hand to be given a copy of the permission form. You can see that almost every hand was up around the classroom. "I'm guessing everyone else is going like they have been for the past two years, so I'm going. I'm not missing out on this shit."  
  
And it's true. You want to experience as much as you can for your high-school years. You don't want to waste a single opportunity, unless it has something to do with sports. The only thing you're iffy about is the illegal shit you'd usually see from a coming of age film. But you guess you can tick that off the list after going to The Den last night.  
  
"Cool." The other simply said before turning back around and filling out his own paper.  
  
You do the same, focusing on the paper in front of you. It had the long paragraph blurb at the top explaining the trip and the fill out form start with the full name of the student before going into health and medical issues the student may have along with other things a teacher should be aware of.

It was easy to fill out. You've got sickle cell anemia, but thankfully, your medicines have been doing their job with preventing crises from happening. You're actually surprised how well it's going for you. But still, you refrain from doing activities that require too much effort since that usually really tires you out and at points in your life, you've passed out due to over exhaustion.  
  
Which reminds you- you've got an appointment with the doctor today just a little after school. You have weekly check ups every Tuesdays to monitor your condition and prevent it from getting worse.  
  
So far, you've been able to lead a mostly normal life without much of a problem, although you are aware of what could happen if you're not careful. It's the reason you're able to get out of having to do a gym class at all.  
  
Once you're done filling out the medical part, you move onto the signature part. One from you and one from a parent or guardian.  
  
You've learned how to forge your mother's signature so that wasn't much of a problem. And then, when you're all done and you ask to excuse yourself, saying you need the bathroom, but really you, you head for the school office and hand in your form to the nice ladies behind the desk.  
  
You smile to yourself and head back to your class.

___x___

  
Lunch came and you had tried your best to avoid your friends, but the girls, Nepeta, Aradia, Feferi, and Kanaya all worked together to get you back with your usual friend group.

To your relief, it wasn't as awkward as you were expecting things to go. Your friends were still the same, making a mess of the circular table the lot of you have occupied for the past three years of high school.  
  
Sollux and Eridan were still competing over the stupidest shit and generally butting heads. Tavros was occasionally gone to hang out with his boyfriend. Gamzee was absent as always, probably off with his other druggie friends, getting high somewhere secluded around the school. Nepeta, Aradia, and Feferi talked animatedly among themselves, while Vriska went around the table, occasionally making her usual snide remark while Terezi was in a heated discussion with Kanaya about... Clothing made out of meat...? You catch Lady Gaga's name in the fray and suddenly, it made sense to you. Equius mostly stayed silent, keen on keeping an eye on Nepeta. You tried to strike up a conversation with him but he was clearly content just watching the blonde cat girl talk with the other girls.  
  
You, yourself, we're content just watching your friends interact goofily with one another. How everything's shifts naturally all around you. Kanaya eventually started fussing over Vriska and her shit personality, while Terezi interjected a few times to name the terrible acts she's committed. Aradia and Sollux were off away somewhere on their own, spending quality time together. Nepeta and Feferi's attention moved to Equius and started teasing him, making the poor fellow sweat more than usual. Eridan sat beside you, watching your friends along with you before he started speaking to you in a somewhat bored manner. Or at least, he tried to sound bored.  
  
"So, I heard some things from 'Rezi." He began, chin resting on the palm of his hand.

Your mouth sudden runs dry and you've lost your appetite, despite only biting into a few pieces of fries you got from the cafeteria. "Heard what?" You mutter, feigning ignorance.  
  
His bright blue eyes shifted to the corner of his eyes to look at you. His mouth curls into what you can only describe as a weary smile. He seemed older than he actually is. "You knoww wwhat I'm talkin' 'bout, Kar." He simply said, gently elbowing you at the side.  
  
You sighed, glancing around the rest of your group and making sure they're occupied. "So? What about it?" You replied, trying to sound irritated, which wasn't hard. It was your default setting.  
  
"Wwill you be makin' an appearance on the next meet up?" He pressed on. "I knoww it's a lot to take in, but maybe seein' howw things wwork might put you at ease. Make sure just howw safe you are wwith us. So, I'm extending the invvitation to ya. Come drop by."  
  
You glanced around the room, biting your lip. You are curious to know who else knows of this secret society full of vampire experts and shit. It could also help you choose who to finally side with. You've seen a bit of Dave's world and what he does in his free time. It's your friends turn to show you what they've been hiding so well in the past few years.

"Fine." You decided, rolling your eyes when he smiled brightly at you, showing a bit of his braces.  
  
He pats you on the shoulder. "Trust me. You'll havve fun wwith the shit wwe get up to."  
  
"Of course you'd find violence entertaining." You muttered and he laughed.  
  
"Yeah. But I do think wwe're doin' the wworld some good, evven if it's in just a small wway such as this. He replied with a nonchalant shrug.  
  
"Anyways, when's the next meeting anyways?" You inquired, making sure to keep your voice low as Sollux and Aradia approach the table once more, goofy smiles on their faces.  
  
"This Thursday. Wwe do one evvery week." He replied, a bit too quickly. He was more excited than he's letting on and you don't know how to feel about that.  
  
You... don't exactly know how to feel about all your friends when the fact that they're vampire hunters are put into the equation.  
  
You guess you'll just have to find out on Sunday.  
  
The bell rings, bringing an end to your lunch time. Everyone started to say their usual goodbyes, Vriska doing so by flipping everyone off as she walked backwards for a few steps. Terezi followed after the blonde bitch, giggling. Equius followed Nepeta, Aradia trailing close behind them since they all had mostly the same classes, while Sollux, Eridan go their own ways as well, bickering as they walk. Tavros followed you to your next class.

The next flew blocks goes by slowly, mostly being uneventful. The only thing of note is the fact that Dave now sits behind you, constantly kicking at the back of your chair to get your attention, only to smirk at you before you flip him off and turn back to pay attention in class.  
  
Dismissal couldn't have come any faster. You were quick to shove your unnecessary things back in your locker before slipping out the heavy doors before anyone you knew could possibly approach you.  
  
From school, you made your way downtown, walking at a leisurely pace. The clinic wasn't that far at all, it was one of the first few shops down the strip mall.  
  
You signed in for your appointment before being led further inside wpby one of the nurses. You waited patiently inside the room, fiddling with the hem of your shirt. A habit of yours. You like keeping your hands, or at least your fingers, busy.  
  
Eventually, your doctor finally comes in and you go through the same procedure. She does a general check up on you, asks you about your experiences and how you've been feeling throughout the week, before ending with her taking some of your blood and her explaining the current state of your blood cells from last week's blood sample.  
  
"So far, you've been doing stable. So, you still have a decent amount of the antibiotics, right? And you're keeping painkillers nearby too?" She had asked, smiling widely at you.

It was contagious. You smile back at her and nod. "Alright then, mr. Vantas. You're home free. I'll see you again next week." She opened the door for you and you picked up your backpack, slipping it onto your shoulders as you left her office, bidding her goodbye politely.  
  
Going to the doctors had made you feel relieved in the strangest way. Your life has been utterly crazy lately and this experience brings a sense of normality back to your life. You're still the same Karkat Vantas a week ago. Just with a few stranger events happening in your life. But you're still you, and you've still got a routine and a schedule to keep. And that brings you relief.  
  
Hopefully nothing's going to change that anytime soon.

___x___

  
The rest of the next few days fly by you and before you knew it, you were dressing yourself up to meet your other friends at Pyrope's house for this elusive meeting between amateur vampire hunters.  
  
You stare at your reflection, at the red baggy hoodie you had forgotten to give back to Strider. It smelled of pine, and how the outside smelled after fresh rain. Petrichor. There was also faint traces of what you think must be apples. You wonder what Dave smells like, before physically slapping yourself for thinking such strange thoughts.

You quickly put on your sneakers before leaving the house and walking down the sidewalk, your hands inside the pockets of the hoodie.

Terezi's home wasn't far, although it was in the prettier and more expensive side of town. It was easy to spot since it was one of the few modern looking horses with sharp edges and a lot of reflective surfaces, compared to the traditional design of the houses that surrounded her home.  
  
You walk up to the porch and click on the doorbell. You hear a the faint buzzer noise from inside, and then shuffling, and eventually the click of the door unlocking and opening for you.  
  
The Pyrope girl grinned at you, and a warm feeling spreads throughout your chest at the familiar sight. You realized just then how much you've missed her company. The two of you had been inseparable since fourth grade.  
  
"Karkat! You actually came, holy shit." She gushed, stepping aside and pulling on your arm to bring you in. "Come in, come in, everyone's waiting for you downstairs in the basement!"  
  
You simply chuckled and let the blind girl drag you to wherever it was she was going as soon as you slipped your shoes off.  
  
She pulled you across her living room and down a narrow hallway with two doors. You know one led to the garage, and the other, the basement.  
  
She opened the one on the left, the door opening to a pastel teal carpeted staircase leading down, railing clinging along one of the walls. Terezi quickly descended them, feet bare. You quickly followed after her.  
  
"Guys! Guys, Karkles' is here!" The blind girl announced as soon as she hit the floor of the basement while you were taking your time walking down them. You weren't particularly excited. Quite the opposite, actually. You felt a twinge of dread settling in the pit of your stomach.

As soon as you hit the bottom of the staircase though, everyone practically surrounded you.  
  
Sollux hugged you tightly, patting your back, before letting go, an unfamiliar wide smile on his face. "I've wanted to do that for a while now. I'm jutht glad you're okay, KK."  
  
Eridan was behind him, looking like a proud fuck while Equius was still the only one at the table, seemingly disgruntled more than anything else. Aradia bounced over your way, a spring to her every step. She sneaked around behind you, touching your neck before you pulled away from her cold hands. "AA, the fuck are you doing?"  
  
She giggled, taking a step away from you. "I was just checking if the mark was still there. Thankfully, it seemed to have healed." She explained. You tell yourself that you're glad. That finally, the remnants of that time was gone. But you're really not. And you hate yourself for it. "I remember my own bite marks." She remarked as if it was completely normal.  
  
Sollux slid an arm around Aradia's waist, looking at her with the dopiest smile ever. "Well, that'th over with now. You're thafe with uth."  
  
"Who was the one that bit you again?" Vriska piped up, pushing her chair backwards, tipping back and forth precariously. "Wasn't it Roxy Lalonde or something?"  
  
Aradia nodded enthusiastically. She touched her shoulder, just hidden by her her teenage mutant ninja turtle t-shirt. "Yeah. She used to feed off of me constantly, but I wouldn't remember any of it." She said, shrugging casually. Sollux's hand visibly tightens around the strange girl.  
  
"It's how we started this get together, actually." Kanaya interjects, coming out from one of the rooms. "Oh, Karkat! You're here." She immediately comes to your side, wrapping you in her embrace. You awkwardly wrap your arms around her, patting her back.

"You... can.... let... go... now..." You mumble muffled into the fabric of her shirt. She finally pulled away and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, flushing lightly. You bit your lip and look towards the rest of the crew. "So... mind telling me the origin story?"  
  
Terezi gathered you  all around the circular table right in the middle of her basement. It was a pretty big basement, with plush leather couches and a television set up. There seemed to be a few empty rooms just waiting to be furnished along with a bedroom that belonged to her.  
  
"-she just did. I don't why she preferred me, but she'd always take me outside the school behind the dumpster before morning classes. And then I wouldn't even remember why I was there in the first place. She'd say I was spacing out and then let me go to my classes afterwards." Aradia was chattering about her experience of being bitten multiple times by Roxy.  
  
It gave you shivers, and your mind wanders to a what if scenario where it was Dave and he constantly fed on you without your knowledge. You're unsure how to feel, but the heat that spreads throughout your body was telling you that you've got it bad.

"It went on for a week, right?" Kanaya asked. Aradia nodded, unaware of Sollux's almost possessive grip around her. Jesus christ he clung to her like a fucking leech.  
  
Vriska groaned. "Can we get on with the fun shit?"  
  
Terezi bristled and turned her attention to the spider girl. "You can go check out the weapons room if you want. Nobody's going to stop you from leaving." Before Terezi can even finish her sentence, the blonde was already up on her feet.  
  
"Later, losers. Have fun doing story time while I get right down to business." She sauntered off to the far back door, one that led right inside the staircase. Terezi called it a weapons' room and your curiosity is dying to check it out.  
  
"Anyways, long story short, Terezi found me one day, having grown suspicious of my sudden disappearances in the morning." Aradia continued. "Roxy fled, from what I remember, and Terezi took care of me. After explaining to me what happened and offering me a vervain energy drink she kept around with her, we decided it'd be best to form an alliance to keep our other friends safe."  
  
"I only recently found out about the existence of those bastards. This all happened back in freshman year." Terezi informed helpfully.  
  
You nod numbly, keeping your eyes down on the glass of water Terezi had offered you. She went all the way upstairs to get it for you, yet you haven't touched it. You decide that now was a good time to take a sip.  
  
So... this whole thing has been happening right under your nose for almost two years now. Your stomach twisted into tight tangles inside of you.

"I already kneww about those damned creatures. My father's in the same business as Terezi's mother is." Eridan stated, a dark look crossing his face at the mention of 'those damned creatures'. "I was bein' taught about this shit since I wwas in kindergarten."  
  
Terezi rolled her eyes. Or tried to, you can't really tell her faded white pupils from her white sclera. "We get it, Eridan. You hate them and you're experienced. Stop bragging about it."  
  
The other simply made a 'hmph' noise before getting up and mumbling something about joining spider bitch in the weapons closet.  
  
"Wait. What's vervain?" You questioned, looking at the remaining people at the table. You've heard the term used before by the Striders, but you've still got no idea what the hell it actually is.  
  
Terezi taps your glass of water. "It's a type of liquid harvested from vervain flowers. Toxic stuff against vampires." She explained easily. "I spike almost all of my drinks with a shot of vervain. It's nontoxic to humans when consumed, but burns the insides of a vampire. Makes you immune to their compulsion if you drink enough over a long period of time."  
  
Dirk had said something about thanking my friends for being immune to compulsion... then it all clicked together inside your head. "Did you spike my drink whenever you came over to my house?" You suddenly found yourself asking Pyrope, an accusatory tone to your voice without meaning to.  
  
Terezi looked embarrassed, pale freckled skin turning a dusty pink. "It was for your own good. I do the same with our other friends in case something similar to you happens." Terezi defended.

Sollux, Kanaya and Aradia were all nodding in agreement. You feel your cheeks flush momentarily from anger.  
  
She'd been spiking your drinks without your knowledge for over two years. _Without your consent_ . The feeling of betrayal only continued to grow inside your gut and you hate the doubt seeding itself inside your mind about Terezi. "Why can't you just tell the others? What about Nepeta, Feferi, Tavros?"  
  
Kanaya looked sympathetic to the point you're trying to make. "We want them to lead normal lives. We're protecting them from knowing such terrible things exist in the world." She reached out to put a hand over your balled fists on the table. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Karkat. But understand that we only meant to do what's good for you."  
  
_Who are you to decide that for me?_ , you find yourself thinking. _You're not my mother._ You felt bitter. But guilt quickly set in at the thought of that. Kanaya had been there when your mother died that night. She was the one you had called when the house suddenly felt like it was eating you alive and you were inside it's empty stomach, alone.  
  
She tried to care for you like a mother would.  
  
You try calmed yourself, closing your eyes and took in a deep breath. When you opened then again, you stare back down at the glass drink in front of you. "What else have you been hiding?" You managed to mutter.

"That's it. I don't like lying to you, but it was necessary." Terezi said, voice cracking at the end. Even more guilt settled itself among the rest of your confusing and conflicting feelings.  
  
"Alright p." You finally say, faking a smile. "Well, what else do you guys do in these meetings anyways?" You inquire, changing the subject.  
  
Terezi seemed to light up at the question. "Well, we usually make battle plans-"  
  
"By battle planth she meanth making a route for each of uth to cover in our next hunting expeditionth." Sollux cuts off the blind girl as the other glared daggers into the lisping boy. Sollux simply shrugs. "You don't need to turn thith into one of your roleplayth, Pyrope. Jutht get to the point already."  
  
She sighed exasperatedly. "Fine. Whatever." She huffed, clearly annoyed. "Our next hiking out into the forest is Wednesday afternoon."  
  
"I can't come." You immediately find yourself saying, Strider popping up in your mind. You shake the image away, and bite your lower lip anxiously. "That's my weekly visit to my mother's grave." You said, voice almost a whisper.  
  
Aradia and Kanaya both nod in sync with each other, understanding. Pyrope seemed to deflate a little but nods her head as well. "Alright. We'll reschedule when we do our usual expeditions in the future to fit your schedule, Karkles. Maybe somewhere in the weekend?"  
  
You nod, glancing back at where Serket and Ampora had disappeared into. "What's inside there by the way?" You ask, trying to sound as casual and nonchalant as you can.

Terezi simply grinned. "Why don't you go check it out." She said cryptically, giving you a nudge in the shoulder. "We'll stay here and do battle plans."  
  
"Route mapping, Pyrope." Sollux interjected.  
  
"You're no fucking fun, Sol." She pouted.  
  
He shrugged. "I'm just thaying it asth it ith."  
  
You sighed and stand to your feet, padding across the room and to the door that the two had closed upon entering. For some weird reason, your heart was a flutter and the familiar twist of anxiety swells up inside you.  
  
With careful fingers, you grabbed the knob, marvelling at its cold surface against your unwittingly burning hand. You twist it open and push it open, peering inside the room.  
  
Your heart felt like it stopped right there in your chest as you took in the room.  
  
One side of the ceiling was slightly slanted since they were literally under the staircase, and the floor wasn't carpeted. It was plain concrete and pipes stuck out in places that all led back to the boiler. But what was the real eye catcher was the amount of _weapons_ Pyrope carried inside the room.

"Vantas! Finally decided to join real fun?" Vriska called out, holding a sharp  sword that curved upwards at the end. She holds it with confidence. Eridan on the other hand was checking out the wall of pistols, rifles, and many other types of guns. He picked up a standard handgun, turning it in his hands before bringing it to the table and disassembling it to check out insides of the gun. Then, he reassembled it all back up with ease and clear expertise.  
  
It looked more like he was showing off, trying to do it as subtle as possible.  
  
It wasn't working. "Eridan, quit trying to try and show off!" Vriska was the one to call him put on his bullshit.  
  
The scarf wearing hipster seemed to sputter, looking at Serket incredulously. She rolled her eyes. "Seriously, it's so fucking obvious that you're trying to look cool and shit to Kar, over there. Well, news flash, you suck at subtly. Just go ask him out already so he break your itty-bitty little fragile feelings when he rejects you. God, you're so annoying! Just get it over with before I shoot all of you myself." She continued to babble on.  
  
Eridan growled. "Just shut the fuck up, Serket, no one likes hearing your voice!" He snapped, pointing the gun at her face with one hand.  
  
The spider girl easily ducked and brought her foot up to kick his hand away, missing her by a long shot when [he _actually_ pulled the fucking trigger.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfrSI2aiBJ8)  
  
You flinched, caving in a little on yourself at the sudden bang. You hear chairs being pushed and knocked over, falling on the soft carpet. Loud thumps of footsteps followed and before you knew it, 5 other faces appeared in the entrance.  
  
"I know five different types of martial arts, you _shithead_. I can fucking kick your ass!" Vriska shouted.

Terezi was quick to run to her side and hold her down to stop her from pouncing on Ampora, who looked at her bitterly. Suddenly, the gun was ripped from his hands, flying through the air and caught by one Sollux Captor.  
  
You stared at him wide eyed. "What the fuck-"  
  
"Eridan! You're banned from touching the gunth again!" He shouted, crossing his arms and glaring at the other. Ampora simply rolled his eyes and made not remark nor move to grab another gun.  
  
Terezi sighed, joining your side once she's placated the spider bitch, who shoved her way out of the weapons room. Kanaya seemed to follow after her quietly. "I'm sorry, these guys are fucking insane." Terezi stated. “Vriska’s mother chose her to be the one to pick up the mantle after her so she’s been classically trained in hand to hand combat since she was five. Eridan’s the same, only trained in every kind of weapon possible, since he was eight, and the same can be said about Cronus, only he doesn’t take it as seriously as Eridan.

“Aradia is pretty new to all of this since she just started two years ago like I have but she’s pretty promising with how agile and fast she is. Kanaya is mean with her chainsaw, although she tends to use that as a last resort thing. She’s a pretty good marksman, probably not as good as Eridan, but still pretty damn good. Equius is strong as fuck. Is there anymore I need to say about him?” Terezi continued to explain each and every one of your friend’s abilities.  
  
You're going to have to agree. On the insanity part. "Wouldn't your mom or like, someone have heard that fucking gunshot?"  
  
The blind girl grinned mischievously. "Mom's gone in one of her 'business trips' and Latula's out with her boyfriend."  
  
You nod at her, moving your gaze over to Sollux who's giving a bored looking Eridan an lecture. "So... what the fuck was that telekinesis shit about?" You asked carefully.  
  
Aradia comes up to your other side, bright and bubbly as ever. "Sollux is sort of a... mage type of thing. He can use spells and things." She offered as an explanation. "He finds the name ‘witch’ to be too feminine even though I told him that there was nothing wrong with ‘Sollux the witch’."  
  
You bit your lip. Looking at the group, you get a bad feeling in your stomach. If these amateurs have access to weapons like this, along with vervain while some clearly have had years of training for this... you wonder what the _real_ hunters would be like. You wonder how many vampires are there left in the world. How many were there to begin with.  
  
You find yourself worrying about Strider and the others. And you don't stop the thoughts.


	7. Admission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No updates next week!! I'll be going on a camping trip and there's no wifi so I can't update shit :') 
> 
> enjoy this chapter though!

_Don't you know, it's torturous?_ _  
_ _You have got some big charisma_ _  
_ _But to our senses we are all astray_ _  
_ _Why d'you have to go be so beautiful inside_

    - [Torturous, Turnerjoy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qenxpJZtrzA)

 

[The week had passed by in a flash after your meeting with the hunters.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E6b3swbnWg) It was strange since they still acted like it was just a casual get together of friends, sprinkled with a bit of training, mapping and route making, and a whole lot of weapon talk. One you could barely keep in up with.  
  
It's been two weeks since the last time you picked up a shift, and you're not really keen on being fired despite how understanding the owner of the cafe has been towards your situation with your home life and school life.  
  
Saturday crawled at a snail's pace, with very few patrons visiting the place. No one exactly wanted coffee or warm freshly baked pastries under the scorching heat of the sun. Poor Jane Crocker and her baked goods. You know you'll end up with a few more glazed donuts and slices of velvet cake to take home after your shift.  
  
It was nice. Routine. When things go exactly the way you'd expect things to go, it sent a sense of relief through you. That you still had some semblance of control over what happens in your life.  
  
Jingle of the bell. A customer comes up to order. You do your job as a barista. Another jingle of the bell as said customer leaves on their way to wherever. This was routine. But one blond blockhead seemed really determined to ruin your routines lately. Ever since Wednesday, that fateful day, it was as if fate itself was helping him interrupt your life.  
  
But then again, you had asked for it.  
  
As much as you enjoyed your quiet small town life, it was boring. You had asked for a bit of excitement, and here you are now. But there was a difference between spontaneity to utter lack of control over your life. After everything you've found out thus far has made you feel like you had little choice in the first place. And that rubbed you the wrong way.

Still. You can't deny it any further. As much as you say in your head that you hate him, you know you feel the complete opposite of that. And you hated the fact that you're actually starting to enjoy the company of the other after the mutual understanding the two of you had stumbled upon while laying down on the hood of a car.  
  
Thusly, here you are now, exchanging playful banter with one Dave Strider. You're honestly not sure if he means anything he ever says because ninety percent of the things that comes out of his mouth was utter bullshit. Along with that bullshit was his weirdly smooth ability to flirt with you when the opportunity showed itself.  
  
You're not sure what to believe, because you know this is all just a facade. And you hated the fact that Dave was fluent in sarcasm and useless rambling. You don't know what his intentions are and it's frustrating for you.  
  
You liked Dave Strider.  
  
Or, at the very least, you were attracted to him in more ways than one. That much was obvious to you. You just denied that fact because as you mentioned before, he spews a lot of bullshit. And he's annoying as fuck. You wish he'd just shut up for one goddamn minute.  
  
But those stolen moments of sincerity... you find yourself craving more. To see behind those stupid shades of his. To prove that there was something more, a meaning, behind every little movement.

But with the wall he's set up in front of you, the only way you knew how to react was bullshitting your own way through the meaningless conversations you have with the blond vampire.  
  
How does one pine for someone who sends you hella mixed signals? One moment he's complimenting your ass and the next he's telling you 'no homo' or he tells you that he's glad to be your friend (even though you had vehemently gone against that notion to keep up your facade of hating his guts).  
  
Your answer?  
  
"Shut the fuck up already. Are you going to order or not? This is literally the seventh time I've asked you, blathering shit stain fuckass."  
  
Use really vulgar words to insult him.  
  
"Shit, hakuna your tatas, Vantas. It's not like you even really have a line waiting to be served. This place is pretty empty."  
  
"So, you just plan on staying in front of my cash register all day?"  
  
He pulled down his shades just enough for him to wink at you.

"You make it sound like that's such a bad thing."  
  
You groaned.  
  
Why did you have to fall in like with a prick like Strider?

___x___

  
Sunday went by much like Saturday. You picked up another shift and just like Saturday, Strider came strolling around to mess with you. He stayed the whole morning before thankfully fucking off by noon. Other than that, everything was as normal as it's ever been.  
  
The next week flies by just as quickly. And before you knew it, you were all packed up and waiting to enter one of the huge buses that waited just outside in your school courtyard. Terezi found you amongst the crowd easily, saying it was the red hoodie that smelled so good that led her to you. You don't question her logic.  
  
"Let's sit together, Karkles. What do you say?" She offered, grinning widely.  
  
"As long as you promise not to fucking lick me anytime I fall asleep on the goddamn ride, sure." You had said in response, and when they were finally letting students go up inside, she indeed took the spot beside you. Luckily, that meant you got the window seat by default since she can't see.  
  
The rest of your friends occupied the seats closest to the two of you. The two of you were near the middle of the bus and were one of the loudest groups. Teachers had to shush you multiple times as your friends chattered on about whatever shit came to mind. You think there was a brief debate about who they would want to narrate their lives at some point before turning to talks about aged cheese. You don't bother paying attention.

Instead, you spend your time listening to your own music and watching the scenery outside pass you by. It's mostly just trees, rolling hills, and open fields though. Occasionally, you'll pass by a farm and see cows grazing. But that's about as exciting as it gets.  
  
Eventually, you dozed off, thoughts having flitted back to a certain red-eyed blond.

___x___

  
The buses eventually do come to a stop, and when you check the time, it's around one thirty in the afternoon. Everyone began piling out of the bus and separated into groups by homeroom. Which means you're stuck with Tavros and Dave.

He's grinning like a stupid idiot in his black Nike t-shirt and stupid light washed jeans. You've always hated how your name was dead last in most attendance lists. But now you're stuck at the tail of the group with a prick that enjoys taunting you.  
  
He constantly rambles on at you as the teacher leads you to one of the cabins, large and wooden near the end the left side of the lake that's shaped like a perfect eight.  
  
"Alright, to make sure no one gets lost of goes around restricted areas, you're going to have a buddy. The person to your right is your partner for the rest of the trip so you better get along." Your homeroom teacher, Mr. Miller, shouted for all of you to hear just before you entered the cabin where your sleeping quarters is going to be.  
  
Strider turned towards you, a smug smirk on his face. As much as you hate to admit it, it's better than the impassive face he usually wears before the two of you had gotten a little closer to each other.

Everybody around you began to head into the spacious cabin. There are various rooms and a whole second floor, but most of the rooms have been changed into a boring bedroom lacking any decoration at all but a pair of bunk beds on either side of the wall. You're assigned to a bunk bed and you leave your heavy backpack onto the lower bed while Dave climbs up and takes the top.  
  
The whole afternoon is just a free period, a time to get yourself nice and settled in before activities start early tomorrow morning.  
  
"This is pretty sick man." You hear the blond above you while you had casually pulled your laptop out, intending on spending most of your time indoors. "Aw, hell no." You hear him say again but you've occupied yourself with opening your small travel sized laptop.  
  
Just as you inputted your password in, a hand pushed your laptop closed. You glare up straight into red ruby eyes. "C'mon Karkles. We're in the great outdoors! Take advantage of it instead of spending your time slaving away at that piece of fanfiction you're writing." You still at that.  
  
"What the fuck. It's not _fanfiction_ . It's called a rough draft of a possible novel I might actually get to publish when I finish it." You're quick to defend. "How the fuck did you even know I was going to be writing anyways?"  
  
He's sitting at the foot of your bed, rolling his eyes. "I'm hurt, Kitkat. Do you really think I don't pay attention to what you do in social class instead of working on your PowerPoint?"

Your cheeks flush a dark crimson in embarrassment. It's true. You've been putting off doing your PowerPoint project, telling yourself that you finish it at the last weekend before it's due, all in favour to writing the rough draft you've already got going. It's hard not to get excited when you've finally hit the fifty thousand word count and so many ideas are flooding your mind in terms of plot.  
  
"Shut the fuck up." Is the weak response you managed to get out. You've got nothing to say since you've been caught red-handed.  
  
His grin widened, a smile touching his mischievous eyes. He took your hand. "C'mon. Let's go out and explore. Plus, I can't go anywhere without my 'buddy'." He said in a mocking tone.  
  
You groaned but move your legs to the side of the bed to get up anyways. He flips his shades from the top of his head back onto his face as he dragged you out of the cabin.  
  
The outside was crawling with activity. Students were all milling about, some sitting on the grass near the lake, some hiding from the bright sun by taking shelter under trees.  
  
Dave seemed to look around the crowd of people while still holding your hand. You have mixed feelings about this, but you push them aside for now when he started dragging you around at a brisk pace.  
  
You only notice where the two of you are headed before you can ask when you realize that Strider is making a beeline for a group of people in bright eye-catching orange.

"Dave!" One of them squealed, promptly pouncing on the blond as he lets go of your hand to catch the girl that's flung herself at him. She was a fairly average height girl with long flowing black as night hair that reached down to her waist. When she pulled away to kiss the blond's cheeks (you're no jealous you swear), you realize that she's got big round glasses perched on the bridge of her nose.  
  
"Hey, Jade." He smiled sheepishly (the first time you've seen it. You swear you're not jealous that it's not directed at you). He nodded to the other around them- Rose, Roxy and who you assume to be John.  
  
So. Two people, you've yet to be introduced to.  
  
"Am I just going to stand here and have my existence completely ignored or are any of you going to introduce me?" You interjected, voice rougher and more bitter than you had intended (you swear this has nothing to do with Jade fucking Harley).  
  
Dave chuckled and you punch him hard on the shoulder, enough to make him sway on his feet a little. "Like anyone can ever ignore you, mister shouty pants."  
  
You rolled your eyes at him. "Of fucking course. Third-grade name calling. What did I expect? You're a fucking man-child, Dave." You only get another amused chuckle from the other ( _you really swear your heart's not beating twice as fast than before_ ).  
  
"Anyway, as you've heard, John, Jade, this is Karkat. He also happens to be my 'buddy'." He said casually, putting a hand on your shoulder.  
  
You're totally fucking aware and very self-conscious about your surroundings now.  
  
"Hi, Karkat! Nice to meet you!" The brunette offered a friendly wave to you. You can't help the default resting bitch face you give him. He is unfazed. You think you like John. "He seems cool, Dave. At least your buddy didn't call you a nerd before leaving." He huffed, crossing his arms.  
  
Dave simply offered a shrug, smirking. "That's because you are a nerd, Egderp."

This all happens while Jade bounded her way over to you, wrapping you in an awkward hug you did not reciprocate, mostly because it literally only lasted a split second before she's thankfully off of you again. "Nice to meet you, Karkat! I've heard a lot about you from Davey over here!" She said cheerfully.  
  
"Damn it Harley, I told you not to call me that!" Dave interjected while Jade simply briefly turns around and sticks her tongue out at him.  
  
You smirked. "What, you don't like the nickname _Davey_ ?" You had purred intentionally, trying to tease the other.  
  
Instead, he doesn't answer and simply turned away to talk to his sisters, but the redness at the tips of his ears was obvious with his pale skin. Holy shit. You may have actually just made Dave Strider blush.  
  
You tuck this info inside your 'important shit to remember' folder.

"Yeah, he hates it. That's why we call him that a lot." Jade said proudly, grinning. You may actually like Jade. She's pretty cool. Anyone who gets under Dave's skin is okay in your book.  
  
But you do have that slight sense of jealousy since they know how to get him to react while half the time, you get sarcastic smirks and suggestive half smiles.  
  
"I'll make sure to call him that whenever I can then." You said deviously, making a point to glance over at Strider and meet his gaze for a moment. Jade grinned, clasping her hands together and seemingly almost jumping up and down with excitement.  
  
"Wanna hear more of Dave's weak spots?" Jade had leaned over to whisper to you. The offer was a rare opportunity. You take it.  
  
For the rest of the afternoon, the group of you had moved to a nearby tree, just chatting. Jade told you about Dave's weak spots, like how he was weirdly ticklish around the sides. Or the way he gets flustered if you talk a certain way- like you were purposefully trying to flirt with him. Apparently, the Strider was only smooth when he initiates shit but is at an utter loss of words when someone else flirts with him. The same happens if you're the one to initiate forward acts of affection, like little touches and such.  
  
Although the whole time, you try to not be disappointed at the fact that you didn't find this out on your own.  
  
After a while of getting to know the Lalondes, John and Jade and receiving their phone numbers, the sun had begun to set. You nudged Strider, and motion for him that they needed to leave.  
  
"Alright guys, we'll talk to you tomorrow. Me and Karks here need to go back to the cabin before we get in trouble with Mr. Miller."

This time, you made a point of taking his hand first and smirk at the result of Strider freezing up and losing his cool for more than a moment. "C'mon, fuckass. I don't want to get a lecture about the importance of curfew." You tug on his arm.  
  
He seemed to get on edge, his hand looser than your grasp on him. You smile internally at being able to rattle Dave's cool persona.  
  
"Something wrong, _Davey_ ?" You cooed purposefully, snickering at the way his cheeks flushed a light pink like the sky was at the moment as the sun set behind your backs.  
  
"Please don't call me that, oh my god." He muttered, covering his mouth. From where you were, you could sort of see Dave's eyes and the way they looked off to the side and away from you. God, you were having way too much fun with this.  
  
"Why the fuck not, hm?" You nudged his side with your elbow and watched him jump away from you with a startled noise. You couldn't stop the outright laughter that spills from your lips.  
  
"I can't fucking believe it. Jade told you didn't she. Fuck, I should've paid more attention to that witch's devious ways." He said exasperatedly, running a hand through his hair.  
  
"Got a problem with it, Davey?" You grinned as you watched him squirm in discomfort.  
  
He tried to open his mouth multiple times, to retort somehow, yet he closed it each time. You tugged on his shirt collar, forcing him to lean down a little (god your height is so embarrassing).  
  
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" You drawled, enjoying the way he flushed in front of you. The way he liked his dry lips nervously. You wonder how it would feel to press them against your own. How well would the two of you fit with each other?

You hadn't even realized how close your faces had gotten. You were too caught in flirting with the other to notice until you hear a loud whistle noise, startling you out of your reverie. "In the cabin. Now!" There he was in front of your cabin, a disgruntled expression on your teacher's face.  
  
You were quick to pull away and start walking towards the cabin briskly, not bothering to wait up for Strider. You don't want him seeing the dark flush across your face.

___x___

  
[The rest of the afternoon was just you typing on your draft until it was time for curfew.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9alh3s6cDlM) Curfew usually started around eight at night, with your teacher checking each room to make sure the students were all accounted for.  
  
However, you being used to sleeping in later hours of the night, couldn't sleep easily. At some point, the other two in the opposite bunk bed from yours sneaked out to do god knows what. Which left just you and Strider in the room. And like you expected, after a few minutes of twisting and turning in your bed since the two other boys left, Strider spoke up.  
  
"Karkat? Yous still awake?" His voice was quiet to you, barely audible since he was on the bunk above you. It was strange to hear his voice in such a soft tone.  
  
"Duh. Of course, I am. It's barely nine thirty. I can't believe they expect us to sleep so early."  
  
A quiet chuckle. You noticed that he only ever laughed when he's comfortable with the company he keeps. Otherwise, he's as stoic as a stone. A really chatty, rambling, stoic stone.  
  
"Can we talk for a little while then?"

You stayed quiet for a while, thinking it over. And you decide, if there's a slim chance of getting to know Dave apart from his irony and sarcasm, you'd want to take it. But you're pretty sure he'd just end up rambling about the strangest things and somehow make them connect.  
  
Fuck it.

"Sure. Why the hell not. You can even come down here so we can talk properly."  
  
"Awesome." Shuffling. Before you know it, Dave was already climbing down from the bunk bed above you before awkwardly shifting around at the foot of your bed. You bit the inside of your cheek, trying not to smile. You sometimes forget how much of an awkward dork he can actually be.  
  
You press your back against the wall and make some space in front of you before patting the spot and motioning for him to come to lay down. He easily does as he's told.  
  
You only notice now that he's got his shades off, probably left it somewhere in his top bunk. For a while, you just stared in each other's eyes, listening to crickets make music in their own way just outside the cabin. Moonlight slipped past the window in between the two bunk beds, casting an ethereal glow across the floor, behind him.  
  
It made him... look strangely fragile, in front of you.  
  
His face was unguarded, posture relaxed and a serene smile as he stared back at you, so closely. Your breath hitched, only now taking into account what little space was actually between the two of you. You try to keep your rapidly beating heart calm, but you can hear it thumping loudly in your ears.  
  
"Hey." He muttered, voice that same soft quality as before, barely above a whisper to make sure not to alert anyone of your wakefulness.  
  
With the door closed, you realize that it's really just the two of you. Unlike with the moment at the hood of the car with anyone that can walk out from The Den and see the two of you, this felt more intimate and private. Your stomach is doing flips. Just great.  
  
"Hey." You murmured as a reply in return, trying to keep the nervousness out of your voice, and you're not sure if it's working or not.

Another stretch of silence between the two of you, but somehow, it's a comfortable one. Well, it seemed that the other was comfortable with it. You. However, is a different story. You felt on edge more than anything else.  
  
Your body posture was tight and rigid. You're well aware that even the tiniest of movements would give you contact with the other, and you're not sure your poor heart can handle that just yet.  
  
"I can ask any question, right? Nothing's excluded?"  
  
He nodded. "Mm. Anything and I'll tell one only the hundred percent truth."  
  
You watch him carefully, his eyes, his lips, his face. "How old were you when you were... turned." You asked although it sounded more like a statement than anything else.  
  
He visibly bristled at this, brows knitted together just a slight bit. "I was nineteen." He offered simply but elaborated no further.  
  
"So... You've been nineteen for one hundred and eighty-three years?" You mutter. You've always guessed that he looked about the age of seventeen to twenty. Around that age range.  
  
A simple nod.  
  
It's clear he doesn't exactly enjoy this topic. You understand. Afterall, you are indirectly asking him about his death.  
  
You stayed silent for a while, looking down at your hand that fidgeted with the fabric of the sheet you were laying down on. You were contemplating asking the question, but you also know that it was quite rude to ask.

Thankfully, you don't have to be the one to bring it up.  
  
"You want to know how I was turned, don't you?" He had sighed, making you snap your eyes back to his.  
  
For the second time, the years he'd lived through were present on his face once again. It made your heartache because you know how personal this thing you were asking from him, yet you can't help your curiosity. You could at least feel guilty about it.  
  
You nodded and he turned over to face the ceiling of the bunk bed.  
  
"Fine. I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours." He finally said after a while, flicking his gaze over to you from the corner of his eyes.  
  
You bit your lip and nodded. "Alright. I agree to your terms." It was only fair.  
  
He seemed to fidget nervously, playing with the hem of his t-shirt. He lacks his lip a few times before starting, a tick you've only noticed now. He seemed to do that a lot when he's nervous.  
  
"I was nineteen and I died for love's sake. Classic sappy shit." He started. Your chest tightened. Of course, he would've found someone, probably multiple people, to love in all his years. But that begs the question... how can you love something whose life is so fleeting?  
  
"My mother and father always had disputes, even early on in their marriage. It wasn't a surprise to find my mother pregnant with twins from another man. Soon after that, my parents divorced and we went into poverty, with me, Dirk and my sisters, who we were two years older than. It was a struggle, trying to get by in eighteen thirty and living in the streets." He paused, taking the time to take a gulp of air. He's not looking at you. "Anyways... I uh, met this guy- He was an aristocrat. Caught me red-handed trying to pickpocket him. I was nineteen, and we've gotten a house at that point, although it wasn't the prettiest thing to look at. It was still hard to come by food though.

"I guess I was smitten by his acts of kindness and generosity. Maybe he took pity upon me and called it love. Remember when I told you that there was a guy who tried to stab me while we laid in bed together?" You nod numbly, remembering how he's mentioned almost dying a couple of times and giving it as an example. "He asked me what I would do if I had the power to change how things were. If I could help my mother get out of debt, even get rich, if I had _power_. And what I would do with it. He asked me if I'd spend an eternity with him." He's fidgeting a lot more now, body restless.

  
"I said yes. Of course I said yes, I was drunk in fucking love. And generally drunk at the time, we'd drank expensive wine at his place. And then, he... well, he stabbed me to fucking death. No simpler way to say it." He said with a shrug. "He turned me and told me that I should be careful with how I use my abilities and not to abuse it. There was one rule. Don't turn anybody else without his permission."  
  
You find that you've been holding your breath for a little while now. "I'm guessing you broke that rule?" You managed to find your voice. It was small, almost shy.  
  
He nodded. "My mother had a... less than ideal reputation. Everyone thought she was a witch and shit. At some point, the whole town decided it was a good idea to burn our house down. A year after I was turned. I guess I can't fault my mother because in a year, we had a sudden r surge of wealth and power around town. People thought it was witchcraft. But anyways, The house was in complete flames and none of my siblings or my mother was in sight. I dove headfirst into the burning building and managed to get them out." He inhaled audibly, before exhaling it all out and closing his eyes.

"I... I got them out. My sisters and my brother. I mom was already in flames along with the house. They were supposed to be dead. I mourned for them for only a minute before I utterly defied the one fucking rule he set for me." He seemed to be remembering it, as if he was reliving the moment. "I turned my siblings. Dirk was the same age as me, only a few minutes older. We were a set of twins too. Roxy and Rose were seventeen at the time. And they're still seventeen to this day."

  
He turned to face you again, red eyes meeting dull grey. "He left me." He murmured into the air.  
  
You involuntarily reached a hand out to him, but he seemed to pull away at your touch, so you brought your hand back, flushing in embarrassment. What did you think you were doing?  
  
"Did you ever find someone else?" You asked instead.  
  
He smiled faintly, but it was that same smile that never reached his eyes. Same eyes that told of the years he's lived through. " I found someone else after him, about eighty years later. Nineteen eleven. A girl. A human girl." You bit your lip, already knowing where this was going. "She was a pretty little thing, black hair and the greenest eyes I've seen. It didn't work out though."  
  
"Does it have something to do with the fact that you never age at all?" You guessed.  
  
He nodded. "She died of tuberculosis at just twenty-three. There was nothing I could really do. I've learned throughout the years that turning someone and giving them this power is wrong. Because I've seen other vampires abuse it. Cause chaos. I understand why he didn’t want me to turn my siblings either. So… I let her go, like how I should've let my siblings go. But at the time, I was still too human to realize the weight of the things I did."  
  
Silence ensued afterwards. A solemn quietness that neither of you seemed to want to break. After a few minutes of this, you finally decide to ask another question.  
  
"How lonely were you?"

"Who said I'm not right now?" He countered, smile sad. "One hundred eighty-three years, one hundred sixty-three days, two hundred and one hours, and two minutes. That's how long I've been alive. You tend to be hyper-aware of the passage of time when you turn. An internal clock that keeps on ticking inside your head. Or maybe that’s just me." His laugh was bitter and mirthless, it almost made you cringe.

  
"I’m sorry." You murmured. “I’m sorry you had to experience that. I’m sorry I asked.”  
  
“No, it’s fine. I _want_ to talk about it. I haven’t for so long.” He murmured. "You're so human, Karkat. Did you know that?" He mused, brushing a lock of hair behind your ear. You feel the warmth of his fingers and lean slightly to the touch, but it was gone as soon as it came.

“Is there something wrong about that?” You whisper.

He chuckled and shook his head. “Nothing. It’s a beautiful thing. Sometimes, it’s a little hard to remember what being human actually is, with all that I’ve seen, everything I’ve… Done. I mean, I’ve seen both world wars and that tends to do things to you. It’s just… Your pity and emotions are just so human. _You’re_ so human. And I don’t really know where I’m going with this but I just… You make me feel a little less like an abomination of nature, the way you want to know about me like a normal person would.

"I mean, I've got my siblings, but they eventually grew tired of my stupid emotional ramblings. Dirk is more a logical person, he has a hard time grasping his own emotions, much less the emotions of others, and dear god he's ability to act upon those emotions are just tragic. Roxy is an constant energy of optimism. She's the type to tell you that it'll all get better sometime when you've got a severe case of what feels like inescapable depression. Her words feel empty and kind of rehearsed since she avoids thinking about the topic herself. Whenever she did think of the problem though, she turns to alcohol in an attempt to forget about it. Rose... Rose is probably the only one that understands me best."

  
You nod, listening to his voice. It really was a pleasant sound to listen to when he's not spouting bullshit. A mellifluous tune. The type of voice that would probably be really good at singing ballads. You wonder if Dave would be willing to sing for you one day.

“It’s been lonely. Having no one to talk to about your experiences because they’ll never believe it. Having no one to talk to and always having to keep a safe distance from everyone else because we’re not the same- because I’ll always outlive anyone I ever liked. I’ll never have kids, I’ll never age with the person I love, I can’t ever lead a normal life and sometimes, that’s scary. Walking around, purposeless aside from just _surviving_. It’s scary and lonely and it’s suffocating sometimes like my skin is trying to crawl out, and I’m scared I’ll snap one day and-”

You notice that he started fidgeting terribly, movements stiff and erratic. He’s slowly panicking, you realized.

You take his hand into yours, holding it firmly. He seemed to flinch away for a moment but you keep your hand over his. "I'm here, aren't I?" You mutter. It's what he did for you when the loneliness from the past threatened to overtake you. "You're not alone. You're not back there. You're here. With me."

He visibly relaxes into your touch now, rigid shoulders going slack. He seemed to shift closer to you, but that could just be your imagination. 

"So, are you going to tell me your side of the story? Last time I only got bits and pieces of it. Plus, I practically bared my whole soul to you just now, you gotta do me a solid and do the same, man."  
  
You shift around on the bed a bit, touching the other's leg for a moment before quickly pressing your whole body back against the wall. "Well... I mean there's not really much to say on the matter. Kankri left, my mom died, I was left alone in the house."  
  
He nodded. "But I mean... the _whole story_ . That's just why you're alone in a big house, dude. I'm asking about your whole life in general. Tell me about you." He had said, shrugging. "You're getting to know me personally. I want to get to know you too."  
  
You bit your tongue, trying to think of what you could say to the blond. You supposed you could always start at the very beginning... "Well, there's nothing really much to say about me. I'm pretty average as it is. The things that happened to me don't make me special." You start. "It's just a series of unfortunate events. Doesn't mean people should treat me any differently or be pitied and stuff. There was a lot of that when I first lost my mom."  
  
He seemed to be listening to you keenly, looking genuinely interested in what you had to say. It made your stomach twist uncomfortably in the pit of your stomach. "My father died when I was just four. I didn't really know him, he was almost always out on military business. It was always just my mom, me, and Kankri around the house. Doesn't mean we were quiet just because it was just the three of us though. I remember when I'd chase Kankri around because he pissed me off somehow and our mom would have to run after us." You smile a little at the memory. You could almost see it in your mind's eye.

Kankri's loud rants about important topics and issues he'd picked up on in the internet. Your own loud voice booming across the room, telling for Kankri to shut the fuck up. You learned how to swear like a sailor from a young age. While your mother never approved, she never tried to stop you compared to the lengths Kankri went to try and 'clean' your mouth. He almost did put soap in your mouth at thirteen years old.  
  
"That sounds nice." You hear him say, and you snapped your head back to attention. You weren't aware that you had started speaking your thoughts out loud.  
  
You shrink away, embarrassed for a moment. "Yeah, I guess. I found it really annoying at the time but now... it's just quiet around the house. You paused. “It’s been quiet ever since Kankri left. Even quieter when she got into a car accident from a shitty taxi driver who was driving while he was high as shit.” You continue, not caring how your voice wavered, verging on tears.

Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close. His grip was loose, but it was secure and reminded you that it’s been two years since then. You’ve moved on from hurting yourself.

“For the first few weeks since my mother died, my friends would often have sleepovers at my place. But that began to lessen and lessen until nobody comes around anymore." You said quietly, trying to change the mood from being so miserable.

  
You feel a gentle squeeze on your hand and you've forgotten that you've interlaced your fingers with his. "I'll visit or take you out as often as I can then." Although you blush, you made sure to roll your eyes, even if he can’t see it with the way the two of you are tangled together.  
  
"I never said I enjoyed your company, Dave."  
  
"You never explicitly said you hated it either."  
  
That's...  
  
Mostly true. Sure, you've tried to force him to go away and leave you alone or to shut the fuck up, but for the most part, you've never actually told him that you hated him.  
  
"I mean, I wouldn't be here, talking to you about personal shit if that was the case, right? You wouldn't continue to ask me about my life if you truly hated me. Therefore, to some extent, you like me."

You instinctively pull your hand back away from him and shove him backwards. Hard.  
  
He actually falls over and drops to the floor of the cabin. "Holy fuck it's cold down here."  
  
You pull your phone from under your bed. "You're an idiot." You mumbled, checking the time. Already ten thirty. A solid one and a half hours of chatting with blond.  
  
"But I'm your idiot." He does his stupid finger guns at you.  
  
You rolled your eyes. "I wouldn't want you even if you were just a dollar at the dollar store."  
  
"Oh, Karkat. How you wound me." He dramatically puts a hand over his forehead. "Like a sword through my heart. How cruel of you."  
  
"Stop being melodramatic and get off the damn floor of its cold." You snapped.  
  
He groaned once more before finally getting up on his ass. "Alright alright. I'm up."  
  
You sighed. "Get to sleep."  
  
"Aye aye, captain." You feel the bed shift as he climbed up back to his spot on the top bunk. You slowly feel your eyes drift close before you see his head pop into your view, upside down.  
  
"What the fuck, Dave?"  
  
He grinned. "I forgot to say goodnight."  
  
"Well, you've said it now. Go back to sleep.  
  
Instead, he brought his hand down, kissed his fingers, and blew them to you. You answered by flipping him off. "G'night and sweet dreams, Karkitty."

 


	8. Dangerous Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHH. Finally back jegus christ. That trip actually went a lot shorter than expected. Anyways, I'm just happy to finally have all my shit back in order to update ;")
> 
> Ya'll deserve it.

_Do you wanna cross the line?_

_We're runnin' out of time_

_A dangerous night to fall in love_

    - [Dangerous night, Thirty Seconds To Mars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta9sevTWIVc)

 

[Everyone was out in the field, playing some game of kickball.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Fa6f3lrew) The teachers had separated each group into teams to participate and go against each other the whole weekend. Two groups were playing kickball right now, but on the other side of the lake, another two groups were playing a game of soccer. There are other smaller things happening around, but you don't care enough to know what they are, much less participate.  
  
You've taken your daily medication and are just walking around aimlessly. Because of your anemia, you've been given permission to just sit around on your ass and do nothing. It was pleasant.  
  
The sun was out in full force today, unlike when you'd arrived yesterday where there were occasional big blobs of clouds to block the sun every few minutes. But now, you're sitting all by yourself under one of the trees, pulling on your shirt every now and then from how hot and sticky you were getting.  
  
Not even doing sports and you still manage to get sweaty. Euck.  
  
For now, you just typed into your document, stopping every few moments to think scenes through before continuing to write.  
  
"Karkles!" You perked up at the sound of the voice, watching Terezi run up to you, wearing a bright orange pinnie. They were used to identify the teams.  
  
She comes to a stop right beside you, doubling over and panting hard. "Karkles! Finally... found ya." She breathed out, catching her breath before standing up straight and brushing away her bangs that stuck to her forehead from sweat. "I didn't see you around yesterday! Where did you go after we got assigned our cabins?"  
  
You stilled at the mention of yesterday. You were with the vampires' company, and Terezi can't know that. She might go to ridiculous lengths to keep you away from them, especially Strider, and the thought of not spending your time with him is-

Wow. You hadn't realized exactly how much time you've been spending with Dave. All through your classes, he's sat close by you, and when you weren't with your other friends at lunch, he'd come around to bother you. He'd offer you rides home but you always turned them down and walked home by yourself. But you really hadn't realized how much time you spent around him, even in small amounts.  
  
The thought of all of that stopping made your insides flutter and twist around uncomfortably.  
  
You turn your attention back to Terezi who's still expectantly waiting for your reply. You bit your lip and look back down at your document, a perfect excuse coming to mind. "I spent it staying back in my cabin and writing." You offer, watching her expression change slightly.  
  
Her grin shifted to one of confusion at first before returning to her default expression. "Alright. You should spend lunch with us today then! Get the crew all together again like the past three years!" She grinned, before looking back out the field.  
  
"Go." You tell her. "Play some games, win. I'll see you this lunch, I promise." You smiled up at her, one she returns.  
  
"Alright, Karkles. Have fun with your writing!" She messed up your hair before running off in the direction she came from. Looks like she was part of the group playing soccer. You wonder who's winning.  
  
You return to your writing.  
  
All around you were sounds of shouting and feet against dead grass as your fellow students played around you. There was also lively chatter from others who weren't playing at the moment and are just waiting their turn, walking about aimlessly around the lake.

  
Birds were chirping and the humid winds that passed through made the leaves sing.  
  
It was peaceful.

Until you get fucking socked in the head with a fucking red ball that knocks your laptop off your lap, sending it lying just a few feet from you while you fall sideways, clutching the spot the damn ball made contact with your skin.  
  
You had cursed loudly before continuing to curse under your breath as you slowly sat back up, using the tree for support before looking around at the fucker was responsible-  
  
Strider was crouched beside you, the ball in one arm while the other was hesitant to touch you and the big red mark the damn ball probably left on your skin. You glared right at him. "What the name of ever loving fuck was that for, you asinine twit?!"  
  
He smiled sheepishly at you and you hate how your anger immediately dissipates at the sight of his crooked smile. "Sorry, Kitkat. I really didn't mean to fuck with your writing session, I just kicked weirdly and sent the ball flying your way." He tried to explain, tilting his head and trying to assess the damage.  
  
You huffed, trying to summon all of your anger back up, but all you manage is a weak, "I fucking hate you, Strider."  
  
"Awe, C'mon, babe. Don't demote me back to Strider."  
  
"I can and I fucking will with your continued stupidity."  
  
"Can I just kiss it and make it better?"  
  
"Fuck off!"  
  
He chuckled, petting your head somewhat patronizingly. You shove him away.  
  
"Alright, alright. Please forgive me?" He pouted, jutting out his lower lip and flicking his shades up so you'd see his eyes. A new expression on his face that is, admittedly, kind of childishly cute on him. Fuck.  
  
You turned your head away, trying and failing to will your blush away. "Let me think about it."

He sighed and stood up. "Alright. I'll see you later, 'Kat. Keep writing your fanfiction while you wait for me to finish."  
  
He ran off with the ball, but without giving you a two finger salute first. You find yourself staring, all the way until he made it back to the kicking spot for the game of kickball.  
  
You watched him hand the ball off to the pitcher, before rolling it his way again. He kicks it perfectly this time, sending the ball flying off-field while he quickly ran around the bases, taking his leisurely time at the last stretch as he watched the other players on the other team try and scramble for the ball that's managed to almost get lost into the forest, stopping just short of its entrance.  
  
Fucking show off.  
  
You feel a tap on your shoulder and immediately flip the fuck out. You had let out a startled screech, turning around to see that it was just Rose Lalonde, with your laptop on her lap.  
  
"Jesus fuck! Don't fucking scare me like that, Lalonde!" You snapped, taking your laptop back from her when she offered it. "What the actual fuck."  
  
She took a seat beside you, leaving some space between the two of you. "I've just come to say hi. I noticed that my brother has inconvenienced you and sent your laptop and thought I'd bring it over for you." She spoke, tone eloquent and graceful. Even though you have no fucking idea how someone's voice can be considered graceful, it just is. "It's a nice prompt, by the way. The thing you're writing  
  
"You fucking read it?!" You growled, glowering at the blonde who simply shifted in her spot to cross her legs. She was wearing shorts and the same orange t-shirt from yesterday. You guess it's the mandatory look for all student council members so they'd be easier to identify in a crowd.  
  
"Just the footnotes." She chuckled. "Really, I think you're doing a good job. Forty-five thousand words count? That's impressive."

You try and hide the burn on your cheeks. "It took me a year to get to that word count because I'm a procrastinating piece of shit, but thanks anyway." You muttered.  
  
It's nice. No one has really commented on your work before, but that was because you never show it to anyone. Maybe you can have Rose check it out sometime and help with checking for spelling and grammar error... just maybe though. Just maybe.  
  
She smiled warmly at you. "Anyway, I am actually here to talk to you about something." She began, gauging your reaction. You simply shifted positions so you're slightly facing her. "It's about Dave."  
  
You immediately freeze up in place, trying to calm your beating heart. "What about that douche canoe?"  
  
She continued to smile. "I've noticed that the two of you have gotten quite... close, in recent days."  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
She glanced up at the leaves that rustled under the force of the wind. ["Well, I'm just concerned."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PNvWVUAxKs) She muttered.  
  
"Concerned about what?" You're beginning to actually worry about where this conversation is going.  
  
"You're aware he doesn't age at the same rate as you, right?"  
  
You bite your tongue, trying to keep yourself from saying something you might regret later. But Rose was slowly starting to piss you off. "Yeah, I do. I'm not fucking stupid, Rose."

She brought a hand up placatingly, which doesn't help her case at all. "Then you're aware that any relationship you might want to pursue with him is futile, correct?"  
  
You hate the way your heart sinks at that statement. It's so right that it physically aches you think about it. The raw emotion of disappointment and embarrassment at even thinking you had a chance rears its head to the forefront of your mind, forgetting your anger. You grind your teeth together.  
  
"Yeah, I know." You mutter. "You don't have to be a huge dick about it."  
  
Rose pursed her lips, putting her hand down in favour of tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She avoids eye contact with you.  
  
Good. Make her feel bad about it.  
  
_Fucking shit you need to not be so fucking petty. This is just fucking pathetic._  
  
"I just don't want anyone to get hurt." She began. "I know how these things go. I've seen it happen before it... it didn't bode well for my brother. I'm just looking out for him."  
  
You nod numbly. "I know. The girl from nineteen eleven." You stare blankly at the screen of the laptop, watching the mouse on the document blink in and out.  
  
She seemed to just smile sadly. "I know. That's exactly why you can't pine for him." She finally said it. "You're a good kid, Karkat. But I can't risk my brother turning off his humanity if something happens to you. I don't want anything happening to you in the first place. It's too dangerous."  
  
You looked up to her. "Turn off... his humanity?" You scrunched up your face in confusion. "What does that even mean?"

Rose looked on, staring at the soccer game. But it seemed that she was looking past it. Past everything. "Being a vampire is hard." She said simply. "It's lonely, isolating, and a lot of negative emotions." She looked over at you now. "We're still human in terms of emotions. We feel happiness, sadness, anger, fear, grief, empathy, sympathy... When we feed, we do feel guilty about it. We feel remorse because know what we're doing is wrong and unnatural. We're well aware that we're freaks of nature.  
  
"So, we have a switch. We call it humanity. We can... turn off our emotions, our humanity, the part of us that makes us feel guilty, feel remorse... the part that makes us human... so we don't have to experience those terrible things. An escape button that lets us avoid having to deal with our trauma from everything we've experienced. But that also means we stop feeling the good parts of being human. But when that switch is turned off... consequences start to mean nothing. You just don't care when that switch is turned off.  
  
"That usually means the vampire that turns their humanity off will go on a rampage. Feeding off of anyone and draining them until they're dead. Any reckless act that you can think of, a vampire without their humanity will probably do. They're even more dangerous if they turned off their humanity after a particularly traumatizing event. Like the death of a loved one." She explained before pausing to see your reaction at learning all of this.

"He's only turned it off twice. Dirk, once. Roxy has yet to do it. I... I've done it once." You could hear the guilt in her voice when she said this. It makes everything in feel ten times heavier than before. You could never imagine Dave doing those things- you could never imagine any of them doing that. But... you don't even know what that would even _look_ like. Would he simply look the same, as if nothing's wrong? Would he look just as calm as when he threatened to _snap_ your neck? Would he look just as calm _actually_ doing such a heinous act?  
  
Your whole throat feels dry. Would he even care enough about you to do something so fucking drastic? You don't think so. But do you want him to care enough that that would become a possibility?  
  
You hadn't realized that Rose began talking again, her voice soft and gentle. "-off when his maker left him. It wasn't a pretty sight, he spent his time starving himself until he went into hibernation. We left him in a coffin for a few weeks while I and my siblings argued about what to do. We were all new to this 'being a vampire' thing. We didn't know the consequences." She sighed.  
  
"Eventually, Dirk went ahead and woke him up by feeding him some blood. He woke up, snapped my brother's neck, before proceeding to run around our home town, killing whoever was unfortunate enough to cross his path. It took a while to catch him, to reel him back in. He killed Dirk a number of four times, Roxy once, and me twice in our attempts to get him to turn his humanity on again."

... What? The primal fear you've felt before when you first met him surged back forwards.  
  
So.  
  
That's what happens when a vampire becomes detached from reality to humanity.  
  
But you're not afraid for yourself, you're afraid for Dave. And how he'll react when he does turn off his humanity, only to turn it back on later and feel the full force of everything he'd done. He'd be even more alone than before.  
  
And what pierces you in the gut is he's had to go through it _twice_ now. Do you really want to be the third reason he goes through so much heartache? After you heard him and his worries about not being a human anymore last night and what it feels like you're about to snap at any moment-  
  
Rose seemed to read your mind. "Dirk only turned off his humanity for experimentation. So he doesn't quite understand what's it's like to snap and let all your inhibitions go. When you're so angry and grieving that you just want to kill everyone and everything. When you have the power to do so and get away with it. Roxy has never gone through it but I have and..." She stops there, voice trailing off, her eyes glossy.

"I get it. I'll keep away." You breathed out the words. It was barely there, almost as if you never even actually said it in the first place. You hadn't noticed that you were clenching your fists so tightly that your knuckles had turned white and you had left crescent-like shapes on the palm of your hand.  
  
Rose puts a comforting hand on your shoulder. At least you thought she was trying to be comforting, but really, you barely even registered the touch, your mind swimming inside your head. "Thank you. I knew you'd understand."

She gave you a gentle squeeze, lingering for a few more seconds before hesitantly letting go and getting back on her feet and walking away. She glanced back your way once, but you simply stared at your computer screen.  
  
Your whole body felt numb.

___x___

  
[The rest of the day went by uneventfully compared to what Rose had told you about earlier that morning.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEOon4zs2aY) You simply watched the games go on, occasionally adding to your story.  
  
But you didn't really get to very much at all. You've hit writer's block all of a sudden and you can't get your mind out of what Rose had told you. The words kept ringing around inside your head.  
  
It wasn't helped by the fact that Strider had tried all day to get the two of you to 'hang out'. Terezi had caught you chatting with him around lunchtime when she came to pick you up so you could have lunch with the rest of the group.  
  
"What were you doing talking to Strider?" She had asked suspiciously. "You know he's dangerous right? We still don't completely know who the rest of the vampires are, but Strider is one of them. You should avoid him."  
  
And you do. Well, you try to avoid him, but it was difficult.  
  
"He's just my buddy for the whole buddy system they put in place for this whole trip. It isn't exactly easy to just ditch him." You had explained to Terezi as she walked you over to one of the big picnic tables scattered about the place near the cabins. Everyone was already there, although a few of your friends had to move to another nearby table with how big your group was.  
  
The school had offered you hot dog sandwiches from the outdoor grill already installed outside the side of every cabin. It came along with a juice box of your choice at a long table with food set out for students to pick up while staying in an orderly line.

There was cranberry, orange, blueberry, strawberry, and apple flavours, all from different brands.  
  
You paused at the section with the boxes of apple juice, contemplating for a moment grabbing one to give to Strider later on.  
  
But then Rose's words reverberated in your mind. _I knew you'd understand_. You continued to pass by the apple juice boxes and grabbed an orange in instead. _Thank you_ .  
  
You had sat at the edge of the picnic table, idly chewing on your food. Terezi sat across from you while Nepeta had settled beside you.  
  
You were well aware of her feelings for you, but you can't bring yourself to reject her knowing how badly she'll take it. But you don't accept either, so you're left in this grey area where she'll always be pining for you until you find a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Which might actually a lot worse. Perhaps you should let her down softly now?  
  
You made the mistake of glancing around at the other students milling about. The weather had cooled off by one pm, strong refreshing winds passing by and ruffling your hair.  
  
He was in the picnic table just across from your own. And you had made the mistake of looking at him with his platinum blonde hair and his red glowing eyes and his impassive expression.  
  
It shouldn't have hurt. But seeing him with his walls up when he looked at you stung.  
  
You were quick to look away.  
  
Lunch period came and went.  
  
You spent the rest of the day following after Terezi and your group of friends. They joked and generally made a ruckus as they walked laps around the lake while talking.

Your mind was somewhere else the whole time though, and Terezi picked up on it, along with Sollux. They separated from the group to talk with you personally, asking if something was wrong and that you could talk to them if you needed.  
  
But you had turned them down, attributing your inattention to simple tiredness. You made the excuse that walking was really exhausting you after the whole day and your anemia was kicking in, making you more fatigued than usual.  
  
After that, you left them and made a beeline for you cabin without another word.  
  
[The afternoon passed by quickly.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZHSR5VG0uU) You barely registered the beautiful sunset over the lake, painting the sky in hues of yellow, pink, and purples. You were too busy staring at the same sentence you had written hours ago, unable to continue the rest of the paragraph.  
  
The only time you snapped out of your trance was when Strider finally retired to your shared bedroom. He opened his mouth to say something as soon as he saw you, but when reminded that they weren't the only ones in the room, he promptly shut his mouth and simply left to take a turn in one of the showers available in the cabin.  
  
The next time you see him was seven thirty, just a little before curfew, yet you had pulled the covers over your head and pretended to be asleep. You kept motionless even when he poked you.  
  
Eventually, he simply sighed and climbed up his own bed.  
  
You have no idea how many hours passed by with you just staring at the wall, thinking.  
  
It was quiet. So quiet.

Until you heard rustling from the top bunk then the familiar shifting of the bed as Dave climbed down. You closed your eyes tightly, trying to feign being asleep.  
  
"I know you're awake, Vantas. Don't try pretending otherwise." He had deadpanned, and something about the lack of emotion in his voice made you sigh and give up in your attempts to ignore his existence.  
  
Slowly, you sat up on your bed and glared at him. "The fuck do you want?" You pull your phone from under your pillow and check the time. "It's like eleven in the goddamn night. Why the shit aren't you sleeping?"  
  
He crossed his arms, mouth a thin line. "Why are you avoiding me?" He questioned, but you will yourself to keep staring at your reflection on his shades.  
  
"I am _not_ avoiding you." You hissed. You felt strange, lying to Dave like this. You felt dirty, even more so when his face fell for just a moment before he went back to his usual neutral nature.  
  
He suddenly grabbed your arm and pulled you off the bed, making you stumble down on the ground with a curse.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing?!" You growled, actually getting irritated now. Doesn't he understand that you're doing this for the best of both of you?  
  
Of course, he doesn't, you haven't told him.

"Did I do something wrong?" You stood up as he spoke, voice a whisper in the room. Though his face was expressionless, the hitch in his voice betrayed what he was feeling. "I mean, I'm really fucking sorry if the ball thing pissed you off or something, but seriously, if that's all you're be mad about, I can make it up to you. Just tell me what to do to make it better, it really fucking sucks not knowing what the hell exactly I did wrong and-"  
  
You covered his mouth with your hand. You glared at him, but you couldn't sustain it for very long before your face fell, bringing your gaze down.  
  
"It's not that, its... you did nothing wrong." You muttered out, unable to look at him. At the way the white light of the moon made his skin glow, at the way it accentuated the shows of his face just right to make it seem like he was a walking piece of photographic marvel. You just can't look at him. Because your resolve crumbles along with it.  
  
He takes your wrist that was covering his mouth and pulls it away. He grabbed your other wrist and pulled you close, forcing you to look up at him. "Then why were you avoiding me earlier? I thought we were-"  
  
You stared at your reflection in his shades, at the way your grey eyes were wide and unsure, brows crinkling together in a look of almost worry. You looked away.

"We were what, Strider?" You muttered, refusing to look back at him in the eyes. Your resolve was non-existent at this point. But you try anyway. "We're just friends."  
  
He lets go of your wrists, and suddenly you feel cold where his hands had touched you. "Then at least tell me why you'd avoid your _friend_." You take note of the bitter tone of his voice at the word 'friend'.  
  
You take a gulp of air, feeling like you had to swallow down a lump in your throat before you spoke. "I have to spend some with the others. They'll get suspicious if I spend all my time beside you, dumbass. They know what you are."  
  
It wasn't the complete truth, but it was an explanation that he wouldn't hate you for. You're sure he'd understand if you wanted to distance yourself because you didn't want either of you to get hurt because of the humanity thing, but for some reason, you feel like that would hurt him. No, you're sure that that explanation would definitely hurt him. It would hurt him, but he'll understand. Still, you don't want to hurt him. You don't want that.  
  
He was silent for a moment. You dared to glance up at him, only to find that he's moved his shades to the top of his head, exposing his eyes and the smile that touched it. Your heart races inside your chest.  
  
"Oh." He mumbled, still smiling. "Alright. I get it. [But since you avoided me earlier, you have to spend time with me tonight again.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=720z2iPsAkg) Nobody's here to witness you with me. It's safe."  
  
Your heart jumped up to your throat. " _Like hell I am_ ." You take a step back from him. "We could still get fucking caught. I do _not_ want to get into any trouble for this trip!"  
  
He rolled his eyes at you despite the wide grin on his face. He grabbed your wrist once more, holding it firmly so you wouldn't escape despite your attempts to get away from him. "Trust me, Karkat. I promise I won't get you in trouble. I'll take all the blame for it."

Before you can protest to that, he's pulling your arm and dragging you across the cabin and out the door. Without a jacket and only pajamas and a t-shirt to protect you, you couldn't help the chill that runs down your spine. A cool breeze was passing by and made you shiver.  
  
"Where the fuck are you taking me?!" You whisper-shouted, not daring to use your loud voice in case the two of you could get caught.  
  
"Just trust me." He turned to tell you before he's off running towards the lake, dragging you along and forcing you to run as to not trip and land hard on your face.  
  
Your heartbeat loudly in your chest and it didn't take long for your legs to start to ache from running. You were finding harder and harder to breathe. You grind your teeth together in an attempt to soothe the aching of your lower jaw. You were so tired.  
  
Eventually, the two of you stop along the part of the lake full of rocks that ran down a slow incline. It was on the other side from where your cabin lay.  
  
You doubled over, hands on your knees as you panted hard, trying to keep your vision focused. Vertigo hit you hard and you stumbled sidewards, leaning against one of the rocks. It was suddenly too fucking hot for you to handle and all you wanted was a cold fresh bottle of water.  
  
"It wasn't even that very far. You've got no stamina, Vantas. You should exercise more." You hear him say, chuckling.  
  
You rolled your eyes, growling lowly. "I have fucking anemia, you uncultured jackass. It's hard for me to do taxing activities like running and shit even if it's just a little bit."

He hurried to your side at that, helping keep you steady even though you were slowly getting things to stabilize again. Hopefully, a crisis doesn't hit you now. "Oh fuck. I'm so fucking sorry, you should've told me so I could've just carried you over here."  
  
You snap your attention back up to him to glare into his stupidly pretty face when you realize that he's being fucking serious. You thought he was just mocking you, but the concern on his face says otherwise. He was all for carrying you like a fucking princess, what the shit.  
  
The things this does to your heart is indescribable. But you also feel heavy dread, knowing you're going against what Rose wanted you to avoid. You suddenly feel like your whole body was lead.  
  
He puts a hand over your neck to check your pulse and you recognize that look. He's smiling sadly.  
  
["What's wrong?"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI8RQw5u9EA) You find yourself inquiring without a second thought. You need a filter.  
  
He perked up, seemingly coming out of a trance. He pulled his hand away from your neck. Instead, he took your hand and pressed it over his chest. You suddenly feel your whole face light up and you were about to protest, ask him what the fuck he thinks he was doing before you paused.  
  
There was something missing.  
  
No heartbeat.  
  
You look up at him, wearing a perplexed expression. You don't have to ask for him to answer.  
  
"To be turned, you have to officially die. Meaning when you're turned, your heart doesn't reanimate itself. It stays dead. That's why we need to drink blood. Our hearts don't produce blood for the rest of our bodies." He explained, and suddenly, you feel a tightness in your chest. A strong feeling of empathy and pity for the other. You just want to kiss him so badly.  
  
"You miss it, don't you?"

He nodded sadly. "Your pulse was beating so fast. It reminds me exactly how human you are. How different we are." He looked tired once more, exhausted. The type of weariness sleep can't cure.  
  
There was a long stretch of silence between the two of you as you watched his face carefully. You hate that look on his face. So, you change the topic instead. "Anyways," You try to say cheerfully, "What did you bring me here for again?"  
  
His face seemed to light up at that, his eyes alight with that same mischief you know so very well. "I was thinking we could go take a swim in the lake."  
  
You stared at him, dumbfounded. You think he's joking, or at least, that he wasn't serious, but his little smirk told you he was going to do it with or without you.  
  
When he started to pull his shirt off, you can't help but move your gaze to the ground where your bare feet was touching the cold, prickly grass. "Oh my fucking god, we're actually going to do this?"  
  
He laughed, and it was a loud, hearty one, one where he knew no one would hear him so it was okay. Just you. You could feel your whole body burn. You dared to glance up at him, only to regret it when he was shimmying out of his jeans, leaving him in just his boxers.  
  
_Fuck why is he so fucking beautiful?_  
  
The next thing you know, you hear a loud splash of water, the noise ringing in your ears. It made you look around frantically, trying to make sure no one heard that with how loud the splash was. Luckily, it looks like you haven't woken anyone up.

"Are you gonna go it or am I gonna have to drag you down with me while your clothes are on?" He called out to you, casually floating on his back and lazily pushing himself around.  
  
You tell yourself that this will be the last time you hang out with Strider. Just one more interaction wouldn't hurt, would it? One last hurrah to your ending friendship. You can't afford what Rose told you coming true.  
  
This was suitable too. The most ridiculous thing you've done in your life. Going against curfew and taking a swim on the lake that was off limits. All in just your boxers. The Den is pretty high up there too, but this one has a higher chance of the two of you getting caught.  
  
You decide to just fuck it.  
  
Mr. Miller can go kiss your ass.  
  
You start to undress, pulling your shirt of off your body. You grit your teeth and hug your shoulders for a moment once you weren't in the safety of your t-shirt before beginning to pull your pajamas off.  
  
Once all of your clothes were off, you don't hesitate and jump right into the water as well before the cold of the night could give you second thoughts about doing this.  
  
Your head goes under the water and when you resurface, you find a widely grinning Dave in front of you, his own hair sticking to his face in weird ways. He looks ridiculous and you can't help thinking how you probably look ridiculous too.  
  
You want to kiss him.  
  
That's the second damn time you've thought of that. You are so _fucked_.

The two of you just idly swim about for a while. At some point, Dave splashed you with water and you retaliated. It became a game where Dave would try to evade you by splashing you with water or swimming away when you got too close while you chased after him feigning anger at the blond when in truth, you were having the time of your life. You don't even know how much time has passed.

Eventually, you catch Dave's foot as he was trying to swim away from you and you give a good yank to pull him closer to you before tackling him into the water.  
  
The two of wrestled and laughed in the water before it all slowly died down and you find yourself tangled you in Dave's embrace, his face so very close.  
  
You could feel his hot breath on your skin, a stark contrast to the cold waters you've gotten used to all around the two of you.  
  
He was keeping the two of you afloat, his body flush against yours and you can feel his skin against your skin with almost nothing separating the two of you apart and it's almost too much. Your whole body was still and burning as hell, as if, if you moved at all, the whole thing would shatter. He was warm. He was safe.  
  
Your mind was short-circuiting. So many conflicting thoughts passed by your head, but when he reached a hand up to softly caress the side of your cheek, one side clearly overwhelmed all the rest of your thoughts.  
  
He was right there, your lips barely inches apart. His eyes were glowing, and you can see the bright specks of red in them, like looking into a finely cut red ruby.  
  
His lips barely brushed against yours when he turned away, eyes dilated with fear. You follow his gaze and watch as figures emerged from the forest and through the back of the cabins.

You easily identify that one of them was the bright orange colour of the student council's mandatory t-shirt. The two figures behind them were too dark and moving too fast for you to figure out who they were.  
  
But before you can even register all of this, Dave was already at the bank of the river, where the two of you had leapt off of and where your clothes lie.  
  
By the time you're out of the water, he was already all dressed up and before you can even pick up your t-shirt, he was already sprinting across the grassy plane, after the running figures.


	9. Hunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh! Sorry for withholding this >:T I'm having some serious writer's block writing chapter 13 and I wanted to keep some chapters ready to post in case something like this happened.
> 
> Welp. Here's an update >:X

_Fate has a way of playing games_

_And I've been keeping score_

_They tried to tell me I was lost in the forest_

_Like a cub with no mother when I actually was where I wanted_

    - [Run for your life, K.Flay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suEeS2v334I)

 

["That's right.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4B0raxVODA) Just come with me, I swear you won't regret it!" You stared into the long-haired girl's eyes, watching her pupils dilate as her rigid posture slackens and she willingly follows you when you tugged on her hand. "There's a good girl." You had giggled to yourself.  
  
You've been drinking animal's blood for the past two weeks and it's starting to make you sick. Last time you drank a pint, you had retched it out on the bathroom trash can, along with whatever meal it was you decided to have.  
  
Dirk's rules were simple.  
  
One, never drank from a human unless it was absolutely necessary, which is kind of what you're doing. Your family is only allowed human blood if animal blood starts making you sick.  
  
For whatever reason, animal blood isn't enough to sustain your vampiric hunger and going without human blood while using animal's blood as a substitute tended to make a vampire sick to its stomach. It's as if something resets after drinking human blood and you're allowed to drink animal blood afterwards without a problem. Of course, until the next time you needed human blood once again to keep you alive.  
  
The second was that you had to keep your human target alive afterwards. No killing.  
  
Although you've got to say, you're pretty excited to finally get a taste of human blood after going almost a month without it. Dirk had given you permission to go and get one of the other humans in your student council club.  
  
And that's what you're currently doing right now. After waiting for the teachers to go to sleep, you slipped out at twelve oh one and sneaked into a room of another group of students sleeping. You woke up a girl named Sandy, pretty with darkly tanned skin and prettier almond brown eyes.  
  
She questioned you but a quick use of compulsion was enough to get her to do your every bidding.  
  
Now, you hold the girl's hand as you weaved your way into the forest, far enough where you think you won't be noticed or heard sucking on the girl's neck.

Avoiding snagging your jeans on shrubbery, you made each quiet step into the forest, making sure not to make too much noise. Afterall, the hunters could be patrolling this time of the night too.  
  
You weren't too worried though. The lakeside was a huge place. There's only a small chance of one of them finding you specifically.  
  
So, onwards you went until you were satisfied with where you were. It was quite a bit away from where you had entered the forest from, but through the trees, you could still faintly see the outline of the cabins.  
  
Smiling, you turned the girl so her back would be facing you. With a happy hum, you extended your fangs. You put a hand on the other side of her neck where her pulse was before craning the girl's neck to give you easier access to the smooth skin.  
  
And then you dove right in. Sinking sharp fangs into soft flesh and fluttering your eyes closed at the thick viscosity of blood that flooded your mouth. It was silent euphoria.  
  
You kept track of the girl's heart beats, making sure she's still alive as you sucked the blood from her body. You could feel it's rapid pulsing, telling you that the girl's heart was probably hammering in her chest, yet her whole body stayed relaxed.  
  
With your other free hand, you pulled the girl closer by her waist to you.  
  
She tasted sweet and salty, like how blood usually is for you. The thick metallic scent was a welcome one, since the last time you had fed was yesterday night and you had thrown that up mere hours after feeding on a poor fluffy white bunny unfortunate enough to cross your path.  
  
You kept drinking and drinking, almost having your fill when you heard rustling. Immediately, you pulled away from the poor girl, licking away the pool of blood that threatened to fall and be wasted on her shirt.

Looking frantically around, you realized that the noises were growing louder, closer. [You tried to stay still, not make a noise, but when it was clear that they've spotted you, a loud shout between two people, you bolted for it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35VE9WykH1c)  
  
Leaving the girl standing around with hazy eyes, you ran the opposite direction of where the rustling noises were.  
  
Quickly, the sound of more shouting filled your ears although you didn't care enough to listen as to what they were saying. You simply ran and ran, hearing footsteps just behind you indicating that they weren't too far behind you.  
  
Soon enough, you broke free from the forest after jumping over a downed log, a few bleeding cuts and scratches around your shins from shrubbery and low hanging branches you had to run through.  
  
It didn't matter. One glance behind you told you that they were still after you. So, you ran past the cabins, attempting to zig-zag across them into somehow get them to slow down a bit and give you a headstart into losing them in the other side of the forest. No such luck, they simply split up with one running behind the cabins and the other running in front to keep up their speed. Fuck.  
  
You ran and ran, ignoring the aching of your bones. Ignoring the way your lungs constricted and screamed for more air. You just ran until you disappeared into the opposite forest from where you had come from.

Eventually, you had to come to stop, unable to take the torture anymore. You'll fight them. Tooth and nail, you'll fight them. You can do it, you've done it before. Plus, they're just puny teenage hunters, right? Puny teenage human hunters.  
  
You stopped suddenly and turned on your heels, baring your fangs as you took a defensive stance.  
  
Your would-be captors slowed to a stop, weapons aimed at you. Puny teenage hunters with weapons. This might prove to be a harder fight to win. But you're not ready to die just yet.  
  
One of them, a girl in a bright teal t-shirt with shorts ripped at the edges aimed her crossbow right where your heart would be. The other, wearing a purple scarf with a matching coloured hoodie and dark washed jeans held a broadsword, a sheath around his waist.  
  
There was a long pause, neither side making a move and simply waiting for the other to attack first. You were about to pounce on the girl with the crossbow before you heard it. Another guttural growl.  
  
Behind the two hunters was your brother. All fair-haired, shadeless, and fangs extended.  
  
Two against two. Finally, the odds are in your favour. This was going to be an even fight.

 

___x___

  
  
You tried to ignore it.

Instead, you kept your head held up high, staring up at the vast skies above you as you ran and ran and just _ran_ .  
  
The stretch of grass was meaningless. What mattered was catching up to Strider and finding out what was happening.  
  
And for all your effort, you made it to the edge of the forest, panting hard. Your whole body was trembling from exhaustion and you felt like your whole jaw was going to just fall right off with how much it hurt.  
  
Once you were stable, you forced your limbs to move even if all you wanted to do at the moment is to fall down on the grass and sleep for who knows how long.  
  
Instead, you lifted your feet into the tall grass of the forest, trying to avoid getting your red crab pajamas from getting snagged on the fallen brush and branches and surrounding shrubbery.  
  
You hear distant voices inside the forest and slowly you move around quietly, trying not to bring attention to yourself as you moved further in.  
  
"-scum. Stand dowwn before this gets bloody." You hear a voice say and your whole body stills. You recognize the voice. The warbled w's.  
  
You hide behind a thick-barked tree, pressing yourself against its rugged wood outer layer. You tried to get your breathing to slow, to stabilize, but the anxiety is making it hard for you to see anything clearly.  
  
When did everything start spinning?  
  
You quietly slap your cheeks and put a hand over your forehead. _Calm down_. You repeat inside your head. You close your eyes for a moment and tried your hardest not to fall over and land right on your face.

Instead, you force yourself to think of calming, grounding thoughts.

The first thing that pops into your mind is Dave.

Dave and what almost happened between the two of you just minutes ago. The slight dampness of your clothes from when you’d immediately put it on when you were still wet was a glaringly big reminder of what could have been.

He had been so close. His body was warmer than you’d ever thought. A hand on your lower back. Skin on skin. Your breath hitched.

“-try it, hipster douche?” Hearing his actual voice snaps out of your reverie and reminds you of the situation at hand.

Carefully, you peered around from your hiding spot to see what was happening.

Seemed like a standoff. Your heart sinks at the sight of Terezi, back to back with what looked to be Eridan. She was facing the girl they had probably been chasing- Roxy Lalonde, while Ampora faced off with Dave. Both vampires were in a ready stance, fangs glinting under the dim moonlight that passed through the thick leaves.

For a moment, Terezi stills, seemingly sniffing the air and making you freeze up in turn. You snap your head back into the safety behind the tree, pressing yourself further into it in the hopes that it would mask your smell from the blind girl. Stupidly, you grabbed dirt from the ground and began to douse yourself with the dry soil. Terezi can’t know your affiliations with Dave. Who knows what she’d do.

“We do have back up, just so you know. It won’t take long for them to get suspicious if we’re not back before they all regroup.” Terezi snapped, words biting and threatening. You don’t doubt her words one bit and it only served to raise your anxiety for Dave and Roxy.

You don’t know the consequences of either’s death, but you assume one of the living vampires might actually turn off their humanity and go on a rampage.

And Dave… You don’t want to think about him. It’ll only make this process of drifting away even more harder on you. Harder than it already is.

The least you can do is help keep these fuckers alive. And then, you’ll part ways with Strider, like you had intended. You’ll… You’ll just have to forget that what happened at the lake ever happened at all.

This was for the best.

You pulled your phone from the pocket of your pajama pants and click on the newest numbers added to your phone.

 

**psycho psychiatrist**

 

LALONDE.

 

ANSWER ME THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT

               MESSAGE.

 

WHERE IN ALL OF HELL ARE YOU?

 

DAMN IT.

 

ROSE.

I

N

E

E

D

Y

O

U

R

H

E

Of what assistance can I supply you at this

time of the night, Karkat?

 

It better be worth it, it’s 12:30 at night.

L

P-

 

OH TRUST ME, THIS IS OF THE UTMOST

                                                                  IMPORTANCE. THE MOST IMPORTANT

MESSAGE YOU HAVE GOTTEN IN YOUR

                                           LONG-LIVED LIFESPAN.

 

                                                          OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE. YOUR TWO SHIT

HEAD SIBLINGS ARE IN A LOT OF FUCKING

                            DANGER RIGHT NOW.

What?

LET ME REPEAT THAT FOR YOU.

 

YOUR TWO STUPID MORONIC SIBLINGS

ARE CURRENTLY AT A STANDOFF WITH

                                                       WITH ANOTHER TWO HUNTERS.

 

                                                     YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAUL DIRK’S ASS

HERE TOO. THEY NEED ALL THE HELP THEY

CAN GET.

Alright, I’m up and on my way.

 

Where are you right now?

                                                      SOUTH SIDE OF THE LAKE FROM THE

CABINS. THE HUNTERS ARE THREATENING

                                                        ABOUT BACK UP. YOU MIGHT WANT TO

                                                        HURRY YOUR ASS OVER HERE.

 

You turn off your phone and watch the tension continue to rise between the two sides. You hope Rose and Dirk would hurry it up and get here before anyone in here makes a move.

The air was tense and suffocating. Both sides stood still, simply glaring at each other. But before long, you hear extra footsteps nearing and the two other siblings that form the quadruplet comes into view just behind Strider.

You feel yourself relax against the tree. You watched from your hiding spot as Rose and Dirk flanked Dave’s side, both extending their own fangs, snarling quietly, threateningly. For the first time, it really sinks into your brain that they’re vampires and that they can be feral, animalistic in nature. But you find that you don’t give two shits about that. They’re just trying to survive like any other being thrust into an environment that presents them where danger is always present.

“You’re outnumbered. I’d say it’s best that you scram before this gets any bloodier.” Rose said in an even voice, voice slick with acidic disdain.

You hear s quiet ‘ _tsk_ ’ come from Ampora. “This isn’t the end of things, Lalonde. We’ll eradicate your filthy species. I promise you that.” He countered, an edge to his voice that told you he was being completely serious in going through with his promise.

But they seemed to comply after a few moments and put their weapons down, before bolting in separate directions of the forest. Another wave of relief passed through you. You watched as Terezi whizzed by you fast, just a few meters away from you.

[After another moment, when you’re sure they’re gone, you take a step out from your hiding spot and gather with the four siblings.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnI2TzkDBAw)

“How’d you guys know to come here?” Dave is the first to ask, looking from Dirk to Rose. His fangs have retreated to simply show slightly sharpened canines.

Rose looked to you, smiling gratefully, albeit looking a bit tired. You don’t blame her, it’s already nearing one in the morning. “Karkat messaged me about it.” She said softly, and even Dirk gave you a nod of approval, putting a hand on your shoulder and lightly patting your back.

Dave looked at you with a renewed expression of what you can only describe as fondness and gratitude. Your heart involuntarily skips a beat, but you quickly avert your eyes, instead opting to move them over to the vice president of the student council. “What in the ever loving fuck were you even doing to get chased around by hunters?” You crossed your arms and so does Dirk, seemingly sharing your sentiment.

And so, Roxy began to explain her tale from start to finish and by the end, you can’t help but shake your head. Dirk looks disappointed but speaks words of understanding. It makes you think of Dave and if he’s fed at all today, or the day before, even though you’re in no position to be the one worrying about him.

The girl in question seemed to only smile sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck as she apologized for the inconvenience. But there’s an unspoken tension in the air that told you it wasn’t just an inconvenience, but a real threat. You wonder if your friends truly are capable to killing someone. But then you remember, most of them don’t even regard Strider and the others as a proper living being.  Especially Eridan. You feel your blood boil at the thought.

Eventually, the rest of you decide it’s best if you all went back to your cabins, in the safety of numbers where hunters can’t openly threaten any of you with witnesses around.

The two of you were silent on your walk back. You’re glad he doesn’t address what almost happened back at the lake.

All he does is bid you goodnight with that trademark half smirk of his ever disappearing into the top bunk. You lie in your own bed, but sleep doesn’t come.

 

___x___

 

You’re sure of it. You sensed Karkat back in the forest. How could you not? You’ve been around his scent for most of your life. It’s one of the few things you can be absolutely certain about in any given situation.

But the question lingers. Why was he there?

The logical part of your mind tells you that he was conspiring with the enemy, but your image of Karkat tells you that that was absolutely impossible. It doesn’t fit him. And you’ve known him all your life.

There’s only one conclusion you can come to. One that makes your insides twist with dread and your heart sink to the bottom of your feet.

They’ve got Karkat brainwashed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one's short :')


	10. Push And Pull

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry for this.

_One day you will understand_  
_Why I pushed you away as I ran_  
_And you will find a better man than I am, trust_  
_I'm doing you a favour, doing you a favour_

    - [Despicable, Grandson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBG313ZsixA)

 

[Two hours.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A2_5DoZQG0) That's the amount of time you spent sleeping. Last night had been an adrenaline rush and you had a difficult time sleeping. Your mind replayed the events that occurred and your the decision you had made right then and there about your Strider problem.  
  
What's even worse is almost as soon as you wake up, you're hit with excruciating pain in your abdomen. A crisis was hitting you so early in the morning. Probably because of the amount of exercise you did last night. Now that you thought about it, your body is sort of sore too to add on top of things.  
  
You had wobbled out of bed and grabbed your backpack whilst clutching your stomach. With one free hand, you fished out your painkillers and medication, downing the pills dry.  
  
Strider had asked if you were doing alright, but you waved him away and told him to go. That it was just your anemia kicking in after last night.  
  
Eventually, he did take your order and left, telling you to get better soon with a toothy grin, the rare times he's actually genuine. It was like a punch to your gut after everything you've decided on. Yet, you save that expression into your brain, memorizing every detail about it. You might never see it again.  
  
Once the pain has subsided, you spent the rest of Sunday continuing with your story. For some reason, everything you write now has a hint of sadness, and the atmosphere has changed to one of sobriety. Guess it doesn't help that the part you're in is writing the protagonist's lowest point.  
  
You avoided him as best as you can. You ditched him at every opportunity you have, spending time with Terezi and your other friends. Though, they seem to be acting weirdly towards you.  
  
But that's the least of your worries at the moment. Dave is giving you half-hearted smiles, and he's probably thinking that this separation between the two of you was just going to be temporary like it had been last time.

And that stings somewhere deep in your chest. At some point during the night, when all the activities were done once again, you had felt like crying. It's stupid, you know, crying over a crush. But the weight of everything was finally sinking into you and it was all too much stress for your heart that it gave you another crisis. An ache in your lower abdomen this time, but fainter this time. Unlike earlier in the morning.  
  
Crawling on the ground, you picked up your medication and some painkillers, downing them dry once again. You're used it, although there is a moment where you felt like choking afterwards but you're mostly able to keep everything down.  
  
And stupidly, you had decided it was a good idea to stare at the sleeping figure of one Dave Strider once the effects have worn off. The two of you didn't get to talk since the other two occupants of your room stayed where they were supposed to for tonight and he wasn't asking you to sneak out like before. You're both relieved and disappointed at the same time at that fact.  
  
Another thing to add to your list of disappointments today is the fact that Dave was facing away from you when you wanted to check on him. You were able to sneak a peek at him on the top bunk by getting on top of your backpack and going on your tippy toes.  
  
His back was turned to you, but you can faintly see him breathing slowly and steadily. His hair was as fair as ever, almost shining silver under the moonlight. His body was relaxed, peaceful, and you hate the sharp pain that it produces in your chest.

 

With a sigh, you tore your gaze away from him and put your backpack in its rightful place before going back to bed only to stare at the wall idly once again as thoughts rushed about in your head.  
  
You've really dug yourself deeply, didn't you? And you're only realizing this after a full month since everything happened. You're so stupid. But you should've expected this. Expected your petty crush to turn into something a little deeper around the same time you were supposed to cut ties with him. Nothing ever goes right in Karkat Vantas' life. Nothing.

 

___x___

  
The trip flew by after that.  
  
The students all packed up and began filling up the buses once more. You sat with Nepeta this time when you noticed that Sollux had taken the spot beside Terezi.  
  
The ride back was painful, with the cat girl occasionally making small little accidental ways to touch you or try an attempt at small talk. You had shut down any of her efforts in trying to talk to you and maybe you had come out a bit rougher and harsher than you meant to, but you just weren't in the mood to deal with her crush on you when you've got more pressing issues in your mind.  
  
When the cat girl finally did resign herself to the idea that you're not going to open up, you pulled your headphones from your hoodie and put on some tunes to distract your mind.

At some point during the trip, you must've fallen asleep because the next thing you know was that Terezi was trying to get you to wake up as the last few students that boarded the bus was finally getting out.  
  
In the sea of students, it was easy to avoid Dave. But when you realize that he's probably looking for you, it sends another pang of pain to your already aching heart.  
  
And it stayed with you all the way to your walk back home.  
  
Tuesday was a whole day off for the whole school to give the students who did go on the trip time to rest and for students who probably didn't finish their homework over the extended weekend time to finish it before it's back to school once again on Wednesday.  
  
Dave didn't get a chance to get a hold of you until Friday. For most of the week, you had managed to keep yourself occupied with friends, although Terezi seemed to be overly concerned about you, hovering over you at every chance she had. You were glad for it since it didn't give Dave any chance opening to talk to you.  
  
He's even been blowing up your phone since then. To the point that you had to block him on Thursday.  
  
[But it seemed he's had enough of your silence and went on the offensive.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg6RMxIsz48) On Friday, he had gotten your wrist among the sea of students at dismissal and pulled you across the campus before any of your friends can grab a hold of you instead.

He had brought you to the less populated part of the campus, all the way to the back of the school where you saw hardly anyone passing by. When he turned a corner where the whole hallway was empty, he finally stopped and roughly pinned you to the nearest locker, face scarily impassive.  
  
Suddenly, you're very scared of him and what he's capable of. But your mind reminds you that there's no way he'd hurt you. Not when you that...  
  
"What _gives?_ " He began, his voice betraying his stone cold expression, cracking on the first syllable he managed to get out. "Why have you been avoiding me? You even blocked my fucking number, and now I know it's not just because you don't want your friends getting suspicious because you've spent all week with them, almost obsessively that it's kind of pathetic." His voice was laced with clear silent fury at you and his anger slips past his armour when he furrowed his brow at you.  
  
When you don't answer, too wide-eyed and still trying to process what was happening with his arms pinning your shoulders to the wall of lockers behind you and his face inches from yours- "Why? What did I do wrong this time? Just please, tell me. I'll fix it." He quietly pleaded and it's so vulnerable, the most vulnerable you've seen him, and his whole facade utterly crumbles. He flips his sunglasses above his head, red eyes meeting dull grey ones.

And god, the expression he's making was tearing you apart on the inside. He was licking his lips nervously once again, eyes searching yours as if all his answers would be literally written somewhere on your face.  
  
Your mouth starts moving before you can even process what you were saying. "Do I owe you a fucking explanation?" You push him away, enough to give you breathing room to get your mind to move, but you're already so far gone at this point. "No, I fucking don't."  
  
"Karkat-" _Fuck_ . The way he said your name, that familiar southern drawl- it makes your gut flip all over the place.  
  
But you keep talking and you don't know why.  
  
"What? What did you fucking think, _Strider_ ? I owe you nothing and will you please stop looking like I just fucking ran over your dog, shit stain. It's utterly pathetic."  
  
What?  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm telling you to back the hell off, Strider. You've been getting on my fucking nerves from the very start. Can't you see that I hate you? Are you just that mind-numbingly slow? Well, let me fucking spell it out for your stupid brain to understand. I hated you from the very fucking start. You're such an insufferable, self-absorbed dick head! How anyone finds something worthwhile in you is completely unbeknownst to me."

No.  
  
His face falls. Crestfallen.  
  
"I thought we were... I thought we had..."  
  
You sneered. _What the fuck are you doing?_ You crossed your arms. _Is your plan really to make him hate you?_  
  
"What?" You laughed bitterly. "You thought we had "something"?" You make an effort of putting quotation marks as you said the words. "Fuck, that's so fucking gay of you, Strider. We never had anything to begin with. I was just humouring your stupid little high school fantasy. You imagined everything by yourself. You're fucking delusional if you think there was even a sliver of "chemistry" or "romance" between the two of us."  
  
_Stop looking that._  
  
"You're pitiable, really."  
  
_Can't you see that I'm lying?_  
  
"Looking for a love you clearly can't have. How stupid can you get? He left you for a reason, dumbfuck."  
  
_I'M LYING, PLEASE. STOP. STOP IT. STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP-_  
  
"Who would ever want to be with you?"  
  
He's staring at you with utter anguish in his eyes, mouth slightly agape to make the letter 'o'.  
  
And.  
  
You just.  
  
Watched him shut down.

His expression that looked like it was near tears suddenly turned cold, glittering eyes losing their shine. His lips formed a thin line and his whole face reminded you of a stone cold statue. Closed off. Detached. His rigid stance turned to a relax one. His hands that hung helplessly on either side of them were shoved into his pockets to give the effect that he just didn't care anymore. His whole aura told you to fuck right off a fucking cliff. He flicks his shades back down.  
  
And.  
  
He just.  
  
Turned away.  
  
Without another word to you.  
  
You stumbled backwards, pressing your back against the lockers for support, a hand over your open mouth, eyes blown wide like saucers. What did you just do?  
  
You slowly slide down from the lockers and curled into a ball, one hand still over your mouth that let's go of a choked sob.  
  
_[What did you do?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUZeSYsU0Uk)_  
  
You hurt him. That's what you did. The thing one thing you swore you would never do and you just _punched the hell out of his feelings_. No, that's not a good enough description for what you did to him.

You had beat the shit out of his heart, jumped and stomped on it with the heel of your boot, and left it to die alone. And you watched as his walls rose back up, far higher than ever before.  
  
You've broken his trust. You've broken _him_ . What the actual fuck are you? The real monster here is you, pathetic leech crawling shit head!  
  
You curled in on yourself, trying to take as little space as you possibly can, trying to make yourself as small as possible. Small and pathetic. Pitiable. Lamentable. Disgusting. Stupid, moronic, idiotic. Every synonym for every negative and deplorable word possible. It's you.  
  
You can't even register the noises you were making, sobbing, wheezing, heaving, mewling. All while tears wracking your whole body. You feel like vomiting your very being onto the floor, all just to escape your disgusting human body. You felt like you were dying again and again as the words and the events that just occurred replayed itself like a cruel torture device.  
  
The pain in your chest was far too painful to be describable. Like you had been stabbed a hundred times. Like you were being stretched on either direction. Like you were being physically torn apart, every organ being scooped out of your body painfully slow.

You could barely see anything with how much you were crying. Your eyes were stinging but that only produced a fresh new wave of hot tears to stream down your face.  
  
And because life is cruelly ironic, it's only now that you realize how big of a space he'd occupied in your heart. Only to be forcibly ripped out with your very own hands.  
  
This was far from any petty crush. If it was, you wouldn't feel so fucking _crushed_ . Like you were the shittiest person to ever walk this goddamn planet in all of time and space.  
  
You loved him.  
  
You lost him.

___x___

  
Walking home was a daze. Somehow, you had found yourself back at the graveyard where your mother lay. You had visited her on Wednesday, told her about your crazy few weeks. Bit it felt right to come here again and pour your heart out to her once again.  
  
The weather was cloudy once again. Big dark clouds of grey threatening to pour down water from above. You barely registered it, sniffling as you climbed the uphill incline. Honestly, you couldn't care less if it rained on you right now. You probably deserved it too.

Her grave was as pristine and tidy as ever. You sat in front of her gravestone and began babbling uselessly about your life up to now. The waterworks began once again, hot, wet tears rolling down your cheeks. But at least they weren't as intense as before. You're all tired out from crying. But of course, you received no reply. Not like you were expecting.  
  
Still, it would've been nice to get a little comfort. But there's literally no one you could talk to about this issue. Of course, there was always Rose... she'd understand.  
  
With a sigh and some wiping off your face with the back of your hand, you stood up and walked wherever, letting your feet guide you.  
  
Strangely enough, you found yourself going into the mausoleum once again. You entered it's chambers, immediately noticing the dark red spot of blood left there when you first met Dave.  
  
Cautiously, you approached the spot, kneeling down and imagining his slumped body across the pavement floor.  
  
A pang of pain shot through you, spreading throughout your body and made you shiver. Your mind is going haywire thinking of all sorts of what-if scenarios.  
  
What if you'd never met Dave here in the first place? What if he never bit you? Would your friends continue to lie to your face and would you continue to be clueless as to what was really happening around you? What if you defied Rose's words, and you had confessed? Would the two of you be happily dating right now? Is that what you really want knowing the underlying threat if something were to happen to yourself?  
  
It was stupid. There was nothing you could do now that everything has been done. All these thoughts were just giving you major anxiety.

So, you stood up, turned away from the bloody spot, and walked away. This time, you make a conscious effort to head straight home.

___x___

  
[It's a Saturday and you sit alone in your very quiet living room.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD_yFYZeMN0) You spent all of Friday obsessively cleaning the house to take your mind off of things. But now, you let the thoughts stew around inside your brain. Luckily, you won't be alone for very long. You've asked Lalonde to come and visit you for a talk you desperately need.  
  
Your eyes are practically glued to the window as you waited for her arrival. Yet again, the sky was of a dark colour, threatening rain once again, but never going through with it. Overall it was just a dreary day. Perfect for your mood.  
  
Your phone was blowing up with texts from your friends, all inviting you someplace else for the weekend, but you kept ignoring them. Instead, you had put your phone on mute.  
  
To your delight though, it doesn't take long for a car,- a dark midnight blue corvette, to pull up into your driveway. You're immediately up on your feet, opening the door to greet the blonde. She smiled kindly at you. You return the gesture.  
  
"Get your boots. I'll wait for you in the car." She said casually, and you simply frowned.  
  
"Wait, where are we going?"

"Back to my home." When you gave her an incredulous look, she sighed. "I don't feel particularly safe talking about such a sensitive topic here. Anyone could be watching."  
  
You open your mouth to counter that point, but you stop short. Would any of your friends stoop so low as to go and stalk your home?

Rose, seemingly reading your mind, said, "I'd rather not chance it. I'm not very fond of taking risks."  
  
You nod slowly and go to fetch your converse before stepping out and following the girl to her car. You hesitate in opening the door, and as if to she could see your thoughts, Rose spoke up once more. "If you're worried about Dave being present, don't be. He's with Dirk. They're out on a hunt. Think of it as grocery shopping for vampires. But instead of buying whole wheat bread and saltine crackers, its blood. He should be gone for the rest of the day. It's just me at home and I would like a bit of company." She offered you yet another one of those rare genuine smiles of hers. You instinctively relax.  
  
You slip into the passenger's seat while she gets on the drivers and starts up the car. The drive there was quiet as usual, but this time, the dark clouds delivered on their threat and small droplets began to fall from the sky. But it wasn't a heavy downpour, just a light drizzle.  
  
Before long, you arrive back at the StriLalonde household p, and this time, you take your time to marvel in its architecture and not bother hiding it. Rose doesn't make a comment like Dave would.  
  
Your heart skips a beat. Stupid. Don't note things that makes his absence so much more present in your mind.  
  
After mentally lecturing yourself, you get out of the car and jog up to the porch with Rose as she keys in the door and opens it with a flourish. She motioned for you to go in first and you oblige.  
  
This time, you have time to really take in the place. On your right was the staircase you saw Rose first descend down. To your far left were an open concept kitchen and fancy dining room. All complete with beautifully carved wooden chairs and white leather seats. The table was plain wood with a vase of fake roses sitting prettily in the middle.

Strolling inside was the immediate living room. The decor screams medieval theme. From the floral design of the couches to a Renaissance painting that hung above the wall. There was a fireplace right in the middle along with fancy plush seats(the ones you see the royal family using in their palace), three in all. One faced each other, perpendicular to one another while the other, longer seat was faced the fireplace. There was even a fucking chandelier hanging high above where the living room was, along with a miniature one in above the dining table.  
  
Off the far right of the fireplace was a long hallway that led further into the house along with another door that's closed and looks to have been that way for centuries now. The whole home glowed a faintly yellowish to orange light. Everything looked expensive, yet it looked homely. Lived in.  
  
Shoes scattered about the front all around the welcoming mat. A leather jacket was slung over one of the fancy seats instead of the perfectly capable coat racket to your immediate left. Empty mugs, newspaper, and books sat atop the coffee table. A stray sword sat atop the fireplace mantle, knocking side the carefully placed snow globes, picture frames, and small statues decorating it. Empty plates sat ignored on the dining table.  
  
You actively ignore the half-filled glass of apple juice beside one of the plates.  
  
Rose huffed as she took a step inside, immediately going for the jacket and hanging it where it should be. The next thing she does is pick up the sword and place in on a long empty plaque beside the closed door just in front of the staircase.

"Sorry for the messes. I tell them to clean up after themselves, but no one seems to listen." She sighed, rolling her eyes in the process as she picked up the three empty mugs and brought them to the kitchen. "Please. Take a seat, I'll be with you in a moment."  
  
You smiled lightly at the place as you slipped your shoes off, taking a cautious step onto the dark hardwood floor. You continue on your way to the left seat, sinking into its cushions.  
  
Rose continued to move about the place, even going so far as to arrange the little decorations above the mantle and shifting the coffee table to be asymmetrical with the rest of the living room.  
  
After all that was finished was the only time she retires herself on the seat opposite of you. "Would you like something to drink? Coffee or tea, perhaps?" She inquired, sitting up properly as soon as she asked the question.  
  
You shake your head and she lets her shoulders relax once more, going into a slight slouch. Well, what passes for a slouch in Lalonde's vocabulary.

"Alright. What did you want to talk about, Karkat?" She spoke softly. Almost motherly. Kind and patient.  
  
Of course, she'd talk this way. She already knows what you wanted to talk to her about with.  
  
"I did something stupid." You utter out, glancing down at the floor, unable to look into the girl's violet gaze.  
  
"Oh?" She muttered, prompting you to go on. You groaned.  
  
"I did something really, mind-meltingly stupid on Friday. I said some... shit to Dave and I'm worried about what it might've done..." You spoke, voice growing quieter until it was just a murmur into the air by the time you're done.  
  
She nodded, standing up. "Give me a moment. I'll make us some tea. I think you'll need it." You simply sigh and let her go about her business.  
  
You hear shuffling and the sounds of familiar clinking of glass on glass. Then you hear an electronic hum starts up and a few more minutes, there's a loud high pitched noise that prompts you to look back at what Lalonde was doing. She was pouring hot water into two similar looking mugs before dumping in the packet of tea. You tear your gaze away from her and go back to staring at the cover of one of the books on the table as you hear her footsteps nearing.  
  
She placed the cup in front of you and you give her a half-hearted smile of gratitude.

"Alright." She started, clasping her hands together. "I heard from Dave exactly what happened. And honestly, I didn't expect for him to act as strongly as he did. I might even go as far as saying my meddling might've only made things worse... I didn't mean for you to go that far into pushing him away." She began, and for the first time, she looked nervous. "I underestimated your pull on him. He wasn't acting normally since you took my advice and it didn't worry me at first. I thought he'd get over it soon enough."  
  
You simply nod. "I understand. I thought my own feelings would go away too but they decided to fuck me up the ass and stayed where they were." You mutter, taking the cup and sipping from it. Peppermint. "The heart grows fonder with distance or some shit like that? Fuck if I know."  
  
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." She corrected, a sad smile plastered on her dark lips. "I didn't think the two of you had gotten so close in the span of a few weeks. Maybe I should've cut in earlier than that. Maybe I shouldn't have. Maybe he deserves someone like you, Karkat."  
  
You frown. "What the fuck are you going on about, Lalonde?"  
  
She pursed her lips for a moment before continuing. "I'm saying... maybe I shouldn't have intervened. He's closer to snapping than before. I'm saying..." pause. "I'm sorry for getting in the way."  
  
You laughed bitterly and you hadn't realized how close you were to crying until that moment, feeling the tears pricking your eyes. "Too fucking late for that." You mutter.  
  
"Maybe not." She spoke softly. ["How do you really feel about my brother, Karkat?"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpbX7SbXOtU)

You paused. How do you feel about him? You laughed, the noise coming out choked and rough and forced. You've never admitted it verbally before and you're suddenly finding it very hard to formulate the words. Like saying it makes it true.  
  
What are you scared of then?  
  
You're scared of admitting it and knowing how dismal your situation really is. You're scared of the heartbreak you caused yourself before you even realized the feelings were there. You're scared it'll give you hope.  
  
You carefully put down the mug and cover your face with your hands, trying to get your breathing to stabilize. Rose waited patiently, watching your movements intently.  
  
"I..." You began, the sound coming out harsh to your own ears. Like shoving glass into your ears. You can't stop the tears that flow from your eyes, no matter how much you fight it. Your lungs constricted and you find it very hard to breathe, heaving in air. You're so pathetic. Crying in front of Rose like this.  
  
But you feel soft arms wrapping around your frame. Soft hands patting your back so gently. You fucking lose it.  
  
" _I_ _love him_." You managed to croak out, voice cracking and broken.

There. You admitted it. And the sheer truth of it engulfs you in waves. You thought you knew what it was like to be in love. No. You don't. Not until now.  
  
It's the feeling of being fulfilled, like a cup that's overflowing, yet you still can't get enough. It's the feeling of completeness at the single thought of that person like you've been missing a piece of yourself this whole time only to find it once again. It's like knowing someone in a short amount of time yet feeling like you've known them for centuries. Like you've met them before. In a different life. And yet you managed to find each other again despite the odds.  
  
It's the feeling of breaking into a million parts and having no clue how to pick back up the pieces. It's like having your very being torn forcefully and violent away from you and watching helplessly as its dragged away from you. It's drowning in the ocean and dying again and again under the waves that refuse to kill you. Lungs so full of water that you can't breathe. A sharp pain that consumes your whole body and leaves you dry and lifeless.  
  
A rose is never without its thorns.  
  
Love is never without pain.  
  
It's how the world works. But that's what makes the good things _good_ . And what makes the bad things _bad_ . It's intrinsically balanced that way. What gives each other meaning.  
  
"I love him and I f-fucked e-everything up before I even f-fucking realized it!" You had sobbed into her, clinging onto the girl's stable frame to keep yourself grounded.

Rose has got her arms wrapped tightly around your midsection while she kneels in front of you while you've got your face buried in her neck, her hair sticking to your face from the tears. She shushed you, patting your back placatingly.  
  
The two of you stayed that way for a long while.

___x___

  
[She had let you stay over for the rest of the afternoon.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewGbdVpEPVM) You had sipped tea with her in comfortable silence as she let you calm yourself down. Eventually, you went into quiet, idle chatter.  
  
It was nice for a while.  
  
"So, why do you guys stay here when you could go someplace else where there aren't as many vampire hunters influenced kids around?" You had asked at some point.  
  
She smiled somewhat slyly. "My brother found a guy." She said simply. "Guess which one I'm talking about."  
  
You had flushed slightly, absentmindedly playing with your hair nervously. "Oh." Was all you could muster before the front door swung open, hitting the wall other a bang, startling both of you.  
  
"Hey Rose, know where the-" He stopped short, jovial expression falling at the sight of you. You see various emotion pass through him, one of them being hope before ultimately setting on his distant, aloof demeanour. "Didn't know we'd be having guests." You can hear the biting tone of his voice at the word 'guests'. You avert your gaze down to the empty mug in your hand.  
  
"I didn't know you'd be back so early." She stated in a matter of factly fashion. Like this was his fault for barging in while you were present. You silently thank Rose inside your head.

"I'm not. I'm just grabbing the cooler. Y’know, someplace to store the goods." He shrugged, stepping inside with his shoes on and disappearing into the hallway. "I'll be out of here before you can even say 'supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus'." He shouted from down the hallway. Rose rolled her eyes.  
  
"Supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus." She said monotonously and just loud enough for Dave to hear it.  
  
He came back moments after to ruffle her hair, to which she lets out an indignant huff. "See you later Rosie." You meet his gaze for a moment. You can almost imagine his eyes under those shades of his. Cold and far away. "Have fun." He said sarcastically.  
  
"Wait!" Rose suddenly stands up, touching her brother's shoulder. He turned towards, expression softening.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Have you heard from Roxy? She's been gone since noon." Rose voiced her worries, to which Dave simply gave another shrug. "She should be home right about now. Do you know where she went?"  
  
"Nope. I haven't seen or heard from her as you haven't either. Don't worry about her, I'm sure she's just having a fun time out in town, drinking and driving." He said, waving a dismissive hand while he held the cooler with his other hand.  
  
Rose frowned, crossing her arms. "And you don't think that's that's a cause for concern?"  
  
He nodded, shrugging once more. "Yeah. It would be typical behaviour for her."

Rose rolled her eyes once more before shoving him lightly on the shoulder. "Alright. I'll try calling her again and see where she is and if she needs assistance. Now go."  
  
He gave her a one finger salute, completely ignoring you, before he's out the door once again, shutting it with another loud bang. Rose stayed where she was standing, rubbing her arms. You think it might be a nervous tick of hers because her voice sounds like it when she speaks again.  
  
"I'm worried about him. He's been pretty reckless and uncaring about his own safety lately." She sighed before turning to look at you once more, a seemingly pleading look to her eyes.  
  
You shift your gaze away, putting the mug back down on the coffee table. "I don't know what to do." You said honestly.  
  
Rose nodded, understanding. "I know." She sighed. Then as an afterthought, "I'm sorry."  
  
You shake your head, offering her a tired half smile. "No need to be. Look, could you drive me back home? I'm pretty beat, all I want to do is lie down in bed and sleep until tomorrow night."

She nodded and you stand up to pull your shoes on while she headed for the door. You take a step outside and find that the clouds have moved to give way to the sun's setting rays. You pull out your phone to check the time.  
  
Five thirty-two. Looks like you spent almost three hours at the StriLalonde home. All you manage to react to that is heave a heavy sigh.  
  
The two of you hop into the vehicle and Rose started on her way back to your home.

Maybe you should be angry at her for meddling in the first place and fucking with your head. But you're not. In the end, you had said those horrible things to Dave of your own accord. Yeah, maybe you went a little overboard without your mind's consent (you honestly don't know what took over you to say those things), but what's done is done.  
  
The only thing you can do now is moving the fuck on. Although it will be painful, you know you have to. You did when your mother died. What's the difference with this one?  
  
Soon enough, the two of you reach your home. You hug the Lalonde sister tightly and perhaps lingered a second too long, but she doesn't seem to mind. She gives you a genuine smile, albeit a little sad.  
  
Then, you headed home.  
  
You got into your pajamas and did your nightly routine. You decide to hit the hay early for tonight. Of course, before calling your workplace to inform them that you'll take a shift.  
  
Work will get your mind off of things. And then, you'll put in everything you've got for your classes, spend more time with your friends and all of this will just become a blur. Or at least, you hope it would be. That eventually, the heartache would fade away.  
  
You keep this all in mind as you entered the safety of your sheets and curled against your pillows. You fall asleep dreaming of him anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I can fix this :')


	11. Only Fools Rush In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't been following my update schedule. Been down lately and just haven't had the motivation to update anything really. Sorry about that. But here's the update now.
> 
> Also, I'm not great at writing arguments or confrontations so sorry if it's a bit lackluster or unsatisfying to read. I tried. Just a warning. But here we go, hope you enjoy it either way.

_ I don't care who you are _

_ Where you're from _

_ What you did _

_ As long as you love me _

    - [As Long As You Love Me, Backstreet Boys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MIBELFORTk)

 

[The last time you had seen him was at the mansion that was his home.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0yz42uqlwM) He had been cold and distant to you, completely ignoring your existence.    
  
The next time you see him, he was bloody, a sizeable wooden stake jutting from his abdomen. He leaned heavily against your door frame, face bloodied, a trail of it running down the side of his head. His lip was busted up too, and he walked into your home with a limp.   
  
His shades was missing from his face, showing you his expression of agony. His pupils were dilated, fear in his eyes.   
  
He grabbed you by your shoulders. "They took her." He had gasped, words slurring. You almost couldn't understand him.   
  
Then, he fell to your floor.   
  


___x___

  
Days before the previous events occurred.   
  
Your name is Terezi Pyrope. You're a vampire hunter with about three years of experience. This year being your third year. You're apart of a sort of guild you had built up with Aradia Megido, a human friend of yours.    
  
Because your mother is too busy hunting after bigger predators somewhere else around the world, you're left with the task of cleaning up your town of Skaia. You're only aware of four at the moment, but you suspect at least one more.   
  
About a month ago, your best friend and ex boyfriend, Karkat Vantas, got bitten. You had taken him out to lunch where the two of you used to frequent. You had informed him of the existence of these dangerous creatures, and he seemed to take the information with mixed reactions. You had expected as much, it's a lot to take in.

You remember when you had tried to enlist the help of a certain fashionable lady and a sweaty strong man. It had been hard to convince them, but they eventually joined your ranks.   
  
He's been strange around you since then. He spaces out a lot more than he probably realizes. Whenever he's with your group of friends, he's gotten a lot less loud and ranty about the stupidest things. And sometimes, he'd be gone for long periods of time where you didn't know where he was. He wouldn't answer most of your or your friends' texts either.   
  
Like the time you decided to drop by his home on the subsequent Monday after telling him the revelations you did on Sunday. You wanted to check up on him and have another talk in case he was having a hard time with the things you had told him.   
  
He wasn't home. You thought he might've just gone out on a detour around the strip malls in the downtown that you need to pass through to get to school. Luckily for you, you had remembered where he hides his spare keys (like a dumbass, he keeps them under his welcome mat).   
  
You had let yourself inside, and waited for him. You waited for what felt like an eternity, until you decided to finally call it quits at around six pm. Although, you wonder where he could've been that would take him this long. Maybe he just forgot to tell you that he was going to take a shift at the cafe?   
  
The cafe shuts off at five thirty though. So, you left wondering where the hell your best friend could be at. It passed by your mind briefly that he could've been taken by a certain Dave Strider. But he's aware of your close relationship with Karkat and you're sure he's not a complete dumbass as to spend time with him when you're sure he's aware that you're a vampire hunter.

After all, you've had a few run ins with the blondie. Your fifth encounter with him had been in the forest, while he was feeding, his back turned to you. You had shot an arrow before either you or Vriska Serket could make another move to alert him of your presence. You caught him on the side as he tried to dodge. But he had run off in the direction of the graveyard.   
  
It was Wednesday and you knew Karkat would be there, visiting his mom. So you halted Vriska before she could follow after the bastard. You wanted to keep Karkat out of this as much as you can. The two of you are almost done high-school, afterall. What's one more year?   
  
Of course, you had been wrong on that account. Dave had bitten him and you failed to protect him.   
  
He was strange during the trip too. You had tried to find him all over the wide space that was the lakeside, but with so many heads and so many people that looked like him from behind, it was almost impossible for you to find on your own. You had tried to enlist your friends but they waved your concern.   
  
Except for Sollux Captor.   
  
He helped you search, but it ended up being fruitless in the end.    
  
The next day, you made it a point to find him and tell him to hang out with your group again. If he wasn't going to act the same, the least you could do to stop him from being led astray by the vampires is to keep him as close to you as possible. But he's been making it infinitely hard for you.

He was underneath a tree that day and you had run up to him as soon as you got someone to substitute for you in the game of soccer you were currently playing. He promised that he'd be there. And even then, you watched him from the corner of your eye as much as possible. And that's when you noticed him talking to Strider.   
  
You had inquired him about it the next time you hung out during lunch, but he waved it away, telling you that he only hit him with a ball so he came by to say sorry. It was reasonable enough, so you let him be.   
  
Saturday night was the big night. You had caught Roxy Lalonde feeding on a poor student while you were on patrol duty with Eridan Ampora and Kanaya Maryam.   
  
You had asked Kanaya to stay behind and look after the poor girl in the same student council as Roxy, while you and Eridan ran after her.   
  
You got so far as to tire her out enough to think she can take you both on. Although the run had left you panting, you kept stand and aimed your special baby crossbow at her. You were sure you were going to eliminate one of them for good after spending those three years hunting after them. And if you couldn't kill them, you're sure Eridan would. He's got a weird vendetta against them that you're sure it would be enough to get him to hack away at her.   
  
But your efforts were dashed when none other than Dave fucking Strider shows up to his sister's aid. Eridan was quick to cover your back, facing the other sibling with his lightweight sword.   
  
The two exchanged banter while you simply kept an eye on the blonde girl in front of you. But that was when sensed it. Smelled it.

Karkat's scent told you that he was nearby, although you couldn't pinpoint exactly where he was. But your mind was going into panic mode at that point at why Karkat was even there to begin with. And right after Strider... the only conclusion you came to was that he was with him. You mean, the chances of the both of them being awake and just happen to randomly bump into each other in the night was very slim. That would mean Karkat came out willingly with Dave.   
  
All those times he's been gone suddenly click in your mind. But that was only after the whole ordeal was finished and you had to retire to your own cabin, defeated. You couldn't sleep that night.   
  
On Sunday of the trip, you noticed a big change in your best friend. He's infinitely more quiet than usual, almost bordering on depressed looking. He also seemed much more irritable, when he snapped at Nepeta during the bus ride home on Monday. He told her to stop asking such stupid questions. You saw the hurt in Nepeta's eyes and you had felt anger against him right then. But it disappeared when you remembered last night.   
  
He was being used. They were probably trying to coerce him to join their side so they could use him against you.    
  
No. You refuse for that to happen. You planned to tell your group on your weekly Thursday meetup. To devise a plan to get your poor Karkat back.   
  
But then... things changed. He hung out with the rest of you regularly starting in Tuesday. He seemed to act like he usually would, and if he wasn't okay, he was good at hiding it.   
  
Until you decided to pop by Karkat's place without telling him so the two of you could have a good talk about what's happening with him and if the vampires had done anything more on him.

And oh god, the thought of Karkat being a feeding bank for those shit stains as just too horrific for you to think about. And the lingering idea that he might  be doing it consensually...    


Your Karkat wouldn't do that, right? He understood just how dangerous they were, right?   
  
But you were wrong. When his house was just in view (you know what I mean), you realized that there was someone else with him. Saturday was when you realized that Karkat was still in fact seeing the vampires.   
  
Rose Lalonde had picked him up that day. To go where, you don't fucking know.   
  
You called an emergency meeting as soon as Monday rolled around.   
  
And now, the room was dead quiet as they listened to what you had to say. They were disbelieving at first, but when they realized Karkat's own strange behaviors lately... A plan to get him back was devised.   
  


___x___

  
[Your name is Karkat Vantas and you've gone through a lot this past month.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaAJze9HM5g) First, you get bitten by a vampire and you find out the secret silent battle between amateur vampire hunters and the vampires themselves. To complicate things, you realized that you're in love with one of the vampires and you have no idea how your hunter friends would take that if they find out.   
  
To complicate matters even more, you've fucked up your relationship with this particular vampire you love and you have no idea how to make it better. He won't even so much as look at you these days.

These days you've been... a real downer. That's the best description you can come up without labeling yourself as 'depressed'. Rose had tried to talk to Dave apparently, about you and talking to you, but he had blown her off each time. That's what she said at least.   
  
You can't really blame him. You'd hate yourself too if you had said those things. Hell, you might've beaten yourself up about it.    
  
But anyway, back on topic... He refuses to even look in your direction. In every class you have with him, he almost always sits as far away from you as possible and always a few seats in front of you so he wouldn't have to look at you.   
  
It's really disheartening.   
  
To avoid any questions from your friends, you had drifted away from him and started eating outdoors instead for lunch. Weirdly enough, they seemed to be fine with this sudden change in your behavior.   
  
And since you usually spend your time alone these days, with no one to check on you, you've forgotten to do some essential things.   
  
Essential things like eating. Or taking a shower. Or brushing your teeth. Or generally taking care of yourself. It's like suddenly, you don't have the motivation to live anymore.   
  
You're almost always tired and you've begun falling asleep in your classes. You had to be woken up by Tavros a few times to tell you that class was over and you had to go to your next. You're oversleeping, you know it. But you just can't help but be so...  _ tired _ .   
  
In the back of your mind, you're hoping a certain someone would notice. A certain someone would suddenly worry about your sudden shift in behavior. But you know he won't notice. Like you've said before, he won't even look at you. How can he notice?

Still, at the back of your head was that nagging thought that maybe, just maybe, if you talked things out with him, things would be okay between the two of you.   
  
Even if you wanted to talk to him though, you're never really given an opportunity to. Instead, you painfully watch him with the usual girls that hang around him like moths to a fixture of light.    


You watch him get handsy with a few of them and you can't help the way your mind processes things.    
  
Like how you remember those same hands holding you in the water. Those same hands that held your hand, those same hands that grounded you to reality.   
  
Like how those hands could be doing something else. On you, on your cheeks, sliding down your neck, tracing the curve of your collarbone, down your body, on your hips, around your-   
  
You snap yourself out of it and quickly look away. You must've been staring at them who knows how long, and your face burns with embarrassment and shame at the feelings it stirred up inside of you. The feelings of want. Desire. You fight to stifle them down because it will never happen.   
  
And thinking these thoughts will only ever bring you hear heartache.   
  
Instead, you will yourself to pull away from your locker and head out like you should. It was dismissal, after all.

It was a cool and crisp Wednesday. You make your daily route to your mother's grave and continue to update her on what's happening in your crazy life.   
  
You would say more about your afternoon, but there's really nothing much of note. It was a normal wednesday. And it went on like that until the end of the week. The weekend was much the same. You took another two shifts at the cafe, and it went on without a hitch.   
  
Strider never came around to bother you this time.   
  
And when you woke up that Monday, you expected things to be the same. But this time, something eventful does happen that night.   
  
You had just gotten home, after spending most of your time at the cafe, doing your homework. A change of scenery. You didn't feel like locking yourself up in your bedroom that day, so you finished most of your work at the cafe. It was a late five twenty six by the time you do get home.   
  
You ordered yourself a box of pizza that night since you were feeling particularly lazy that night. Plus, you could always pack the leftovers for lunch the following day. You were already in your pajamas that night.   
  
It was a lazy night. You had kept all the lights closed aside from the bright dim lights you kept around the house, bathing the room in an atmospheric orange yellow glow. You ate quietly by yourself, watching stupid YouTube videos while you did. Most of what you watched was upcoming romance movie trailers. Most of them were shit and already done better by the classics.   
  
It had been so quiet. Something you were used to. So you were very much startled when there came a thundering knock to your door. As if someone was slamming their fist against it like your door had personally killed whoever was behind the door's whole family.

It didn't stop until you got to open the door. You were about to give whoever the fuck was behind your door a lesson before you realized it was the last person you expected it to be.   
  
[Dave Strider was at your door.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAK50LHGMfA)

The last time you had seen him face to face was at the mansion that was his home. He had been cold and distant to you, completely ignoring your existence.    
  
The next time you see him, he was injured, a sizeable wooden stake jutting from the middle of his abdomen. He leaned heavily against your door frame, face bloodied, a trail of it running down the side of his head. His lip was busted up too, and he walked into your home with a limp. You realize there was an arrow sticking to the back of left calf, blood soaking his jeans.   
  
His shades was missing from his face, showing you his expression of agony. His pupils were dilated, fear in his eyes.   
  
He grabbed you by your shoulders. "They took her." He had gasped, words slurring. You almost couldn't understand him.   
  
Then, he fell to your floor.   
  
Of course you were quick to pick up, or well, pull the older one onto your couch. You were panicking at this point, running your hands through your hair, and muttering silent curses to yourself.   
  
It looked like he had already bled a whole lot since there was nothing coming out from the stab wound just below his chest.   
  
You bit your lip, almost enough to make it bleed. You know you're going to have to do this alone.   
  
With a shaky breath, you gathered spare towels to clean the potential blood that could come out from the wounds, along with your first aid kit.

Carefully, pull off his slashed leather jacket and pull his tattered blood soaked shirt off his body before you got to work. You assess his body. He was full of scars but you can clearly see large purple bruises kissing long his abdomen along with the fresh new cuts around his shoulders and arms. Nothing too major, just a few scrapes that's already scabbed over.   
  
With a big gulp, you assess the elephant in the room. By that, you mean the sharped piece of wood sticking out from his front. You decide that putting a trash can near you would be smart.   
  
You turn him over on his back and carefully wrapped your hands around the handle of the wooden stake. As you slowly and carefully pulled it out, Strider wakes up once again with a strangled shout of pain. Still, you continued on. If he was going to survive and heal this wound, you're going to have to pull it out the stake first.   
  
Once it was out, you drop it to the ground and stare at the blond in front of you with wide eyes.   
  
" _ What in the name of all of hell happened? _ " You managed to breathe out, kneeling on the floor and trying not to look at the gaping hole in his chest that was already starting to grow back and heal.   
  
He groaned in agony, shifting your couch to better situate himself. "Later. Right now, you need to call Jade." He ordered.   
  
Following his instructions would probably be best for the time being. Explanations can come later, you've got more pressing issues to address.   
  
Dialing the number on your phone while pacing about the room, you tried to reach Jade but it goes to voicemail after a few seconds of ringing. "You have reached Jade Harley's voicemail! Please leave a message at the tone!" Her cheery voice sounded in your ear. You cursed under your breath.   
  
You quickly move back to Dave, deciding that getting rid of that arrow on his calf would be the next top priority. "I can't reach her. I'll try again later." You hissed out.

This time, much quicker, you pulled the thin piece of arrow from his leg and throw it aside where the wooden stake and his bloodied clothing sat. He had howled in pain, but you just pat his would and told him to suck it up.   
  
Once you've also wrapped up his biggest wound with gauze, and slapped on a few different sizes of bandaids around the cuts that still looked fresh and tender, you stood up and glared down at him. "Alright fucker, time to play twenty twenty questions like we used to."   
  
He simply rolled his eyes at you. "Like any of that ever fucking mattered to you." He quietly snapped.    
  
Your face falls, but you hold strong. Now isn't the time for petty problems of the heart. You can work that out later. You tell him this. "Shut the fuck up. Answer me or I'm throwing you out."   
  
He glared back up at you. "Might as well throw me out. That's what you really all you want to do right now, right?" Alright, you fucking guess you're doing this.   
  
" _ Fuck. Off. _ I'm over here trying to help you and understand the current situation that even landed you this state and all you wanna do is rub it in my face the stupidest fucking decision I've ever made or will make in my goddamn insignificant existence?" You countered, voice rising.   
  
He looked away, looking to be pouting. "Drop the kind act. I get that you don't like me. That's the reason I even came here. It's the last place they'll look at after I told them what the fucking hell happened to our shit show of a relationship. Oh wait, that was just me imagining everything. We never had a relationship to begin with."

Okay, you were starting to get really pissed off. You take a step closer to him. "It's not a fucking "act", Dave. What I told you before? Those were all fucking lies so you'd leave me alone-  _ no _ you're going to let me fucking finish." You lean down and clamp a hand around his mouth to prevent him from speaking. "I wanted you to leave me the hell alone because I was scared I would fucking hurt you. And I know in the process, I did end up hurting you badly instead and I am fucking sorry about that. You have no fucking idea how sorry I am."   
  
You hesitate for a moment before finally pulling your hand away. He stared at you skeptically, brows furrowed together. "Do you understand how much it fucking  _ hurt _  to hear those words from you? No, you didn't just hurt. You fucking broke my heart. I-" throughout his own rant, he looked like he was in actual physical agony to be even looking at you. It looked like he was actually about to cry and you just.   
  
Want to wipe that broken expression off of his face.   
  
"What?" You mumbled. The words hung between the two of you as silence descended between the two of you.    
  
He was the one to break it after who knows how long. "How do you really feel about me?" He quietly inquired, looking away from you.   
  
Your heart constricts inside your chest. This was your moment, this was your chance.   
  
But you can't seem to get the words out. You have your mouth opened, yet the words are stuck in the back of your throat, refusing to come out. Looking at him now, looking so defeated, you want to say it but you  _ can't _ .

When he eventually does look up at you again, licking his lower lip nervously, you realize why you can't.    
  
Because you can't describe how you feel about him into proper words. So, you did what you should've done back then.   
  
[Leaned down and crashed your lips against his.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azYEiOh_FFo)

He was quick to reciprocate, as if he'd waited for this moment his entire life. He kissed you with a feverish vigorous, and you were more than happy to give back just as much enthusiasm.   
  
It didn't take long for the kiss to turn heated. He licked along the line of your bottom lip and you didn't hesitate in opening your mouth for his tongue to slither in and dance with your own.   
  
You didn't know when, or how, but you've somehow managed to fall on his lap, your legs on either side of his waist, straddling him. You press your whole body against his while his fingers wandered to places you've imagined them to just days ago. Into your mess of a hair. Around the shape of your jawline. Down to the curve of your neck. Slithering up and down your sides and back, as if he was memorizing your shape. Then resting on your waist whilst he kept his other hand tangled up in your hair, keeping you in place. As if you'd go leave to anywhere but here.   
  
The first to break away from your kiss was you, needing to take a breath of air.  You've got your arms weakly wrapped around his neck, your whole body feeling light along with your head. He takes this time to carefully lay you down the couch and crawl on top of you.

He kissed you chastely on the lips before moving to your jawline, licking and sucking on your soft flesh before leaving feathery kisses above them. Your whole body burned with anticipation, knowing just where this could lead to if he kept this up. You could already feel the heat especially building in between your legs.   
  
His fingers trailed up and under your shirt, leaving shivers all over your body. Everywhere he touched seemed to burn unbelievably hot. You may have made a whimpering noise when he sucked a little too hard around your collarbone, one that you're sure will leave a mark.   
  
But before you can go any further than this, your phone rings loudly from the pocket of your pajamas. You cursed loudly, while he simply laughed into your skin before slowly pulling away.    
  
You groaned and sat up, fishing for your phone before hitting the accept call button. It was Jade.   
  
"Karkat! I'm super sorry for not getting your phone call, I was busy putting the twins to sleep." She had said over the phone, one in which you had decided to put on speaker mode.   
  
"I don't give a single shit about your babysitting duties right now, Harley. Can you make it to my house in ten?" You had cut straight to business.    
  
"Why? I mean, I'll still come around, but why?" She had asked and you turned your gaze to Dave who's licking his lips nervously once more. God, all you want to do is taste him again right now.   
  
"It's important. I need you to do a protection spell around Karkat's house. The sooner the better." He replied to her question.

"Dave!! You're at Karkat's right now? What's up with that? I've got so many questions!" You hear shuffling on the other side and you assume that's her finally getting up on her ass to drive to your house.   
  
"Yeah, okay. You can interrogate us later when you get here." You said before pausing. "Wait, do you need my address?"   
  
"Yep, that would be helpful." You hear a door closing and hurried footsteps on pavement. You exit out of the call for a moment to open your chat with her. You quickly send over your address as you hear a car door slamming shut on the other side. "Thanks, Karkat! I guess I'll see you guys soon."    
  
Annnnnnnnd, you hung up.    
  
You turned to Dave, face flustered. He smiled over at you, red eyes twinkling in the dark once once more.   
  
"Hey Karkat?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
He leaned over and pressed a kiss against your lips once more. When he pulled away, his smile could light up the whole world. You're transfixed by how beautiful the pure bliss on his face is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters from here on may come delayed. I'm just dealing with a lot so my schedule may be erratic and have no pattern at all. I'll try not to keep you guys from waiting too long though.


	12. Bittersweet Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your kind words ;u; I managed to get up off my ass and deliver this one to you.
> 
> Warning, there's an, uh... Well, there's a self indulgent sexual part in this one. Sort of a mix of good and bad. So uh, have fun!

_ How do I live? How do I breathe? _

_ When you're not here I'm suffocating _

_ I want to feel love, run through my blood _

_ Tell me is this where I give it all up? _

    - [Writing’s on the wall, Sam Smith](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIyELVHNlcU)

 

[Silence had descended upon the two of you after you had exchanged affections.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6FscrOPLck) You didn't know what else to say, so you kept your mouth shut instead of taking the risk of babbling and saying the wrong thing once again.    
  
It felt like an eternity before Jade finally arrived at your house with a knock to the door. The two of you had just been sitting there, staring into the most randomest things. Dave seemed find the empty glass you have on your coffee table infinitely more interesting than anything else in the room. You on the other had focused all of your attention to a cobweb swinging precariously on your window. The spider was not present. It's probably long dead at this point.   
  
You were the first one to jump at the  _ ding _ noise the doorbell made. You were quick on your feet, standing up and getting it open to a smiling Jade Harley on the other side.   
  
"Hi Karkat!" She greeted happily as you stepped aside to let her in. Her cheery demeanor promptly drops though, when she sees Dave with his bloody gauze wrapped around his abdomen and the stake and arrow on the ground at the foot of the beige leather sofa.   
  
"Hi Jade." Dave waved casually while the girl cupped her mouth with both of her hands in shock. Once the initial shock wore off though, a look of confusion and anger passes through the dark haired girl's face.   
  
"Dave!" She exclaimed his name, loud and shrill. "What the hell happened to you??" She inquired as she quickly took the spot you were previously sitting at next to Dave.   
  
You shrugged it off though and sat on the other couch, body facing the two of them.

"It's a long story. And I'd only feel comfortable telling it if you did a cloaking spell so no one can find us for a little while." He had answered.   
  
Jade looked incredulous for a moment. "You want me to hold a cloaking spell? For the whole house?" She questioned, seemingly needing extra clarification. The blond across from her simply nodded. She sighed. "Alright, but this is one of the biggest tasks you've had me do. You owe me a meal at the diner. And a damn good excuse as to why you're bloody and sitting here in Karkat's house." She huffed.   
  
The dark haired girl then stood up and left the house for a moment, you assume to perform whatever spell it was Dave was asking her to do.    
  
"Witch?" You had simply asked, raising an eyebrow at the other.   
  
"Witch." He replied with a laugh at the end of his words, nodding a little.   
  
"Damn. I'm learning new things." You sighed, running a hand through your hair.   
  
"Don't worry. You've got me to teach you the ways of the supernatural." He seemed to emphasize this fact with a click of his tongue and a wink in your direction.   
  
You hate that you immediately flushed at the simple gesture, but your forced your body to relax and seem nonchalant, rolling your eyes for effect. "I don't think this is the time for you to be flirting with me, Dave."   
  
He smirked, and goddamn do you miss that sly expression on his face. "When is it ever?"   
  
"I don't know, when you're not bleeding out on my couch and possibly dying while some, I assume, hunters are after you?" You quipped back. His grin only widened.   
  
"It's part of the StriLalonde package , you gotta get used to it, Kitkat. Life threatening experiences are practically a guarantee when you're with me."   
  
And it's true. But oddly enough, you feel calm and fine about it.

"Nah, you just made out with me despite aforementioned bloody state. You're under the Strider charm spell now. And you like it." He drawled the last part, only fueling the burning of the tips of your ears all the way to your neck.   
  
"Shut the fuck up, ass muncher. I can't believe I'm dating your sorry excuse of a vampire ass."   
  
"Hey, don't diss the ass-" He paused before he can go on a ramble about his ass (you just know it), and stared at you with a sheepish grin on his stupid face. It takes you a moment to catch up to what you had just said. You sputter. "So. We are dating now?" He said, tone playful.   
  
You weren't thinking when you were talking. After everything that happened, you had just assumed that that's what the two of you are, but that's just your side. You're not entirely sure if that's what Dave wants too.   
  
"I-" You had tried to open your mouth to say something, anything, but your mouth simply hung open, no words coming to mind. Thankfully though, you don't need to say anything.   
  
Dave had scooted over to be near you and using one hand, guided your lips to hips in one fluid movement. You simply let yourself melt into the kiss, much more chaste than the one you shared earlier. But it was every bit as enjoyable, with the languid movement and the soft push and pull between the two of you. You're completely unaware of how tightly you were gripping the couch.   
  
Until you heard the sound of a camera shutter. You immediately jumped away from him, to stare with a horrified expression at one smug looking Jade Harley. "About damn time, you guys."   
  
You flushed a brighter red than before, from embarrassment and anger this time around. "Jade! Fucking delete that or I'm going to murder you and hide your body under the very floorboards of this very goddamn house!"

She giggled at you and made a casual movement of lifting her shoulders. A shrug. "Nah. Blackmail material for Davey over here." Her flicked over to the hunched over blond, hands covering his face and seemingly losing himself into a fit of giggles and laughter.   
  
You groaned and simply leaned back into your couch, curling into a ball and letting your whole body burn along with letting your smile show. You liked the idea of showing off Dave as yours. More so than you'd like to admit.   
  
Once Jade slipped her phone back into her pocket, she puts her hands on her hips, whole attitude changing to a serious one. "Alright. I've got the cloaking spell up, we should just look like more forest and foliage to the untrained eye. Are you gonna talk or what?"   
  
This caught your attention, making you unfurl from your previous position as a ball. Dave seemed paler now that you really looked at him and even the way he spoke with his hands seemed to be much more weary than usual.   
  
"Can you call Dirk and Rose to come over? It'll be easier to tell what happened if they're all here to hear it so I don't have to do it again and again." He sighed. "Ask them to bring uh...  _ The apple juice _ . If you get what I mean."   
  
"Yes Dave, I know what you mean." Jade made an exaggerated sigh but complied to Dave's request and pulled out her phone once again.   
  
You're completely fucking clueless as to what the shit they're talking about. But you can make a few guesses. Like how they might not actually be talking about the juices from a red fruit.   
  
Dave stood up, stumbling on his feet for a moment before regaining his balance. He made his way to the hallway, where you assume he'll make his travel to the washroom.   
  
But when he flicks his eyes from you over to the hallway and made a slight movement of his mirroring that affect, you got the message.   
  
He wants you to follow him.

You decide to get up and follow him to wherever. He takes you back to your bedroom, and you slowly raise an eyebrow at him. "Dave-"   
  
"Don't worry, we're not doing what you think we're doing. I just... need a favor to ask of you." His voice was oddly quiet and soft. You already know what he wants from you.   
  
To save him having to ask you, you take a step forward and crane your neck to expose your skin there. Dave looks at you, clearly startled. You chuckle.   
  
"I know you're dangerously low on blood, stupid. I can see it in the way you move. I'm giving you permission because who the fuck knows how long Dirk and Rose will get here." You reassured him but he still looks hesitant.   
  
["Are you sure?"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgaTQ5-XfMM) He questioned, brows knitted together. His expression was serious. You sighed and nodded, reaching over to intertwine your fingers with his.   
  
He hesitantly pulled you closer by a hand on the small of your back. Then, with half lidded eyes, he lets his fangs extend and you squeezed his hand in an attempt to keep your body from naturally flinching away in fear.

He squeezed your hand back reassuringly, and before you know it, you feel a sharp pain around your neck. You let out a quiet gasp, leaning your weight against the taller one and simply resting your head safely in the crook of his neck.

Heat immediately flooded the part of your body that was getting sucked on. Dave kept his hand in yours, holding your hand tightly while his other hand roamed around your body. From your shoulders, down your arms, then back up, tracing your spine, before settling on the nape of your neck, the small touch sending electricity down your body.

You could feel fatigue slowly start to settle in as he drains your blood, your hand going slack in his. When it does, he immediately stops, making a quiet noise of appreciation, licking the spot where he had bit you and kissing it. You flushed darkly at the fact that this whole ordeal was making you feel... warmer than you'd wanted. It shouldn’t, but once again, this whole thing felt extremely intimate, with the way he breathed down on your skin, lips connected to your flesh and sucking blood off of you… It sent shivers down your spine. The trust aspect of it all also made things feel even more appealing.   
  
And if it was even possible, you blush even harder when he clearly noticed your little predicament between your legs by softly putting a leg between your yours and pressed his thigh against your growing arousal. You had let out a pathetic little whimper and clung onto his shoulders, hiding your face further into his neck.   
  
He kicked your door closed with a silent thud before carefully leading you to your bed where he promptly sits down with a huff and pulled you down with him, ending up between his legs, facing forwards. He nuzzled into the back of your neck while his fingers wandered around your waist line. You breathe in shallow breaths.   
  
"This okay?" He mumbled into the skin of your shoulder, his fingers toying with the hem of your pajamas, idly pulling on the string. You settle your hands into the sheets, already gripping them tightly.   
  
"Y-yeah." You muttered in reply, breath hitching as you spoke. You watched his hands get to work with half lidded eyes.

The room was dark, a couple of night lights plugged into electric sockets in the corners of the room light up the place, creating the same dim orange yellow glow from the living room.    
  
Your whole body feels like it's on fire, especially the tips of your ears. You would compare the feeling similar to having a high fever; your mind becomes hazy and your senses tingle at the edges. You feel like you could faint at any moment. And there's a pounding in your head that beats at the same rhythm of the one in your heart.   
  
Using his body as support, you leaned your weight into him, acutely aware of his bare chest behind you. He radiates such warmth that you feel your whole body burning with every touch.   
  
He's slow and careful to pull your pajamas down. You keep your eyes on his every movement, whimpering when he rubs the bulge over your boxers. He kissed your shoulder, putting a bit more pressure to tease you.    
  
" _ Dave _ ." You gasped, the words coming out more whiny than you had expected. You could feel the rumble of his laughter against your back as he buries his face into your hair. You swat him on the face.   
  
"Alright, sorry. You just sound so cute whining like that." He purred into your ear, warm breath sending shivers down your back.   
  
"Just get on with it. We have people waiting for us outside." You whispered, grumbling quietly only to choke out a moan, cutting off your silent rant when he finally pulled your boxers down and wrapped his hand around the tip.    
  
His other arm was wrapped around your midsection to keep you from sliding off the bed. That shit would be super embarrassing while in the middle of a fucking hand-job.   
  
He continued to playfully tease you, pulling out a needy moan from your lips when he rubs just the right way with the right pressure. You grip the sheets in a white knuckle grasp and turn your head away, embarrassed at the sounds you were making.

"Fuck. You're so pretty, Karkat." He mumbled into your ear, stroking your dick from base to head. You're left moaning his name breathlessly, waves of pleasure making your hips jerk forward, desperate for more friction. The feeling of his hand on you was a much different experience than from when you did it yourself.   
  
He continued to mirror the movement from before, applying a little more pressure although still moving at a lazy speed. You quietly pant, gritting your teeth.   
  
" _ Please _ ." You don't even care if you sound like you're pleading at this point. "F-faster."   
  
He murmurs your name into your skin, kissing and sucking on your neck and shoulder while he complied to your request, increasing his movements almost erratically. In mere moments, you could already feel heat pool in your gut while you put a hand over your mouth to stop muffle the whimpers and mewling you were doing.   
  
You don't last very long, releasing with a choked sob. He pulled away and seemed to marvel at the substance that covered his hands and the way it stuck and dripped between his fingers.

He chuckled, kissing the back of your nape and sighing contentedly. He keeps his dirty hand away while his other arm simply tightened around you.   
  
However, you were still light headed, enjoying the momentary high of an orgasm. When you do finally come to your senses and manage to even out your breathing, you elbow him in the ribs to get him to let go of you so you can stand up and pull your boxers and pants back up.   
  
He's smirking at you smugly when you look back at him. You don't stop the flush across your cheeks and the shy smile that creeps up your lips. He stood up as well and moved to the washroom to clean off his hands.   
  
With a sigh, you run your hand through your hair, letting yourself break out into a full out grin while he's not here to see you. Pure happiness is the only way you could describe your feelings at the moment.   
[   
Eventually though, the two of you have to go back to reality. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PoI5mwieOI)   
  
Back in the living room, the other two visitors seemed to have arrive, all three of them standing about and making idle chatter with each other. The first to notice your arrival was Rose, who's got a knowing on.   
  
You bit your lip and avoid meeting her gaze as you took a seat on one of the couches. You motioned for the others to do the same when Dave mirrors your actions.   
  
"Jeez. You guys sure did take your time. What were you even doing?" Jade exclaimed, sitting herself down beside Rose. Your cheeks burn and you're about to retort something stupid when Rose beats you to it.

"I don't think you'd want to know." She casually threw out while Jade simply looked on, seemingly trying to work it out in her head. You can just see the gears turning in her head. Dirk simply sighed exasperatedly at the whole group.   
  
"Alright. Let's get this shit show started." You announce, feeling a bit silly to be starting a serious conversation in your pajamas and fluffy crab slippers. "What exactly happened to you?"   
  
You pose the question to Dave who sat across from you while the other three looked to him as well, expectant. Dave's previous jovial mood suddenly turned somber as he stared at the magazine on your coffee table, eyebrows knitted together.   
  
"Where's Roxy by the way?" Rose inquired and this prompts Dave to ruffle his hair roughly before running his hands through them and then smoothing it back to its usual style.   
  
He's licking his lips again. "That's what I was going to get at." He muttered. He makes a point not to look at either of his siblings who now watch him with rapt attention. Jade seemed worried.   
  
"Well clearly, you got attacked. Run us through what happened." You pressed, crossing your arms over your chest.   
  
A sigh. "We... We- we got ambushed." He simply said this in a hushed tone. Then, he clears his throat before moving on. "I was picking her up from school in the after hours since she had cheer practice. Her locker was at the back of the campus so- so there wasn't anyone around them they cornered us. Five of them. One of them was a mage."   
  
_ Sollux _ . Your mind provides for you.

"Two against either of us. As you Karkat and Jade already know, I got fucking stabbed in the chest from the back. The only reason it wasn't through the fucking heart was the angle. It was closed quarters combat. When I knocked one of them out, the mage was quick to pin me against the wall. He demanded some shit kidnapping one of his friends,-" He paused here to look at you pointedly. "- Karkat to be specific. They think we're holding you hostage or some horse shit like that. I don't know, I told them I wasn't speaking to you then but they didn't seem to believe that. Roxy managed to tackle the goddamn mage and she told me to run, so I did and..." He rubs at his face before ultimately covering it. "I wasn't thinking. Now they have her."   
  
There was a deafening silence. Dirk was the first one to break it, standing up. "How do you know they haven't already-"   
  
He doesn't even bother finishing the sentence, fists clenched on either side of him. Rose rose up from her seat to put a hand on the other Strider's shoulder.   
  
"Because," Dave started. "Since they think we forcibly have Karkat with us, they're probably going to use her as some sort of bargaining chip."   
  
"Why didn't you tell as soon as it happened?" Rose inquired, a bit of an edge to her voice. She's still trying to placate Dirk who's roughly running his hand through his hair.   
  
Dave shrugged. "It wouldn't have mattered. We don't know where she is."   
  
Jade perked up. "Wait, do any of your have something of Roxy's? I can do a locator spell to find out where they're keeping her."   
  
Dave looked grim. "I doubt that would work. If they're smart, they got their mage to prevent any location spell from being effective in finding her." Dirk growled lowly.

The dark haired girl looked determined. "The least we can do is at least try." Rose nodded, agreeing with this sentiment. You bite the inside of your cheek. You don't really have a place in inserting your own opinion. It's your fault that this whole cluster fuck of a shit pile even happened. Any input from you probably wouldn't help much.   
  
At this point, the black haired girl has taken residence on the open space between your kitchen and your living room. She's produced a chalk from somewhere (who the fuck knows), and has started drawing strange symbols on your hardwood floor.   
  
At any other time, you would've lost your shit. But you linger at the outside of your living room, leaning against the couch nearest to where Jade was doing her weird witchy shit.   
  
One glance at Dave and you find something to do.   
  
While the others were busy watching Jade do her thing and also simultaneously trying to find for something of Roxy's on their person, you grabbed Dave by his wrist and lead him back to your room.    
  
"Whoa Karkles, I don't this is the time for any round twos. I mean, I'm fucking flattered that you enjoyed it that much, but like you said, we have people waiting for us. This shit's lit as fuck but I don't think now's the time for-"   
  
You threw a spare t-shirt at his face (one of the ones that was just too big for you, effectively getting him to shut the hell up. "Dave, shut the hell up. That's not what I brought you back here for." You muttered, feigning anger but the effect was lackluster.

He stared at you for a moment, watching your anxiously cross your arms and hug yourself before he finally got it. "Oh." He frowned, knitting his brows together, a look of seriousness crossing his face. "Karkat, no. You don't get to blame yourself for this whole shit show happening. If anything, it's my goddamn fault for running away like a fucking coward." He laughed bitterly at this.   
  
You huff, letting your hands fall to your sides and look at him seriously. "But it is. It's my fault for even getting Terezi and the others to be suspicious of my actions. I wasn't careful enough!"   
  
Dave pulled the shirt over his head before crossing the room and standing before you at arm's length. "You couldn't have guessed for things to turn out this way." He muttered, voice soft and gentle. You turned away only for him to put a finger under your chin and move to it so you're staring into his eyes.   
  
"If I didn't meddle with you..." You started, voice a whisper. "Then this wouldn't have happened at all. This whole shit, I started it when I asked you to meet me again at the cemetery." You bite your lip, unable to meet his scrutinizing gaze any longer.   
  
Your attention is only pulled back to him when he pressed his lips against yours, the action quick and soft. The gentleness and briefness of it makes your eyes water. "If you didn't, then I never would've met you. And honestly, I'd do it all over again as long as you stay by my side. We'll figure this out. Don't beat yourself up over it too much, okay?"   
  
You nod numbly, wrapping your arms loosely around him and resting your head on his chest. You most likely won't take his advice and beat the ever living shit out of yourself about the whole ordeal. Still, you're keenly aware that that won't do jack shit to getting Roxy out of the sticky situation she's in.

He pets your head like some cat but you're too tired to put up much of a protest. You let him do as he please while you simply sighed and nuzzled into the crook of his neck.   
  
After a while of simple silent holding, you finally let go of him and offer a half hearted smile. He took your hand and led you back out to the living room.   
  
It seemed that they're using a pin Dirk keeps from Roxy as a reminder of her in his wallet. He's got equally weird trinkets that hold sentimental value for each of his siblings. Rose's is predictively enough, a pressed rose inside one folds of his wallet. Dave's is a black crow feather. You'd like to know the story behind why his sentimental item is a crow feather.   
  
But for now, you watch as Jade holds the item in her hands while standing in the middle of the circle of scribbles she's drawn, eyes  loved and brows knit in concentration.    
  
She suddenly opens her eyes, but she seemed to look through you, at somewhere you can't see.   
  
Her frown deepened. "I..." She started before pausing for a few more minutes. A total of seven minutes, to be exact. "I can't see it. It's blurry." She muttered, a defeated tone to her voice. "There's a protection spell over the place she's at. I can't pinpoint where exactly she's located at."   
  
Dirk cursed under his breath, Rose closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose while Dave simply let out a knowing sigh.   
  
Jade closed her eyes once more before opening them back up after a moment's notice. She crossed her arms over her arms, brows still knitted together.   
  
"If what Dave says is right..." Rose spoke first. "Then the first move isn't ours. We'll have to wait and see what they do, if they do in fact plan on using her as a bargaining chip."   
  
"They think we took him forcibly, right? Without consent?" Dirk questioned, needing clarification as he turned his head towards Dave. He lets out an exaggerated sigh.

"Yeah. From what I heard, they think we have him without his permission." He stated, as if it was the most simple thing in the world.   
  
All eyes fall you and you suddenly feel very uncomfortable inside your very own home. ["We can play along."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g52rAvhyLAE) Jade suddenly proposed, and the eyes turn to her. She bit her lip anxiously before continuing. "We can play along and act like we did kidnap him, then exchange her for Roxy. Although, you may not be able to have any interaction for a while or any at all period. They're definitely going to be keeping an eye on him afterwards... And it could be too risky for any of you to approach him again. We just don't know how determined they are and their security around him might never actually falter even after some time. After all, some of them are children of actual vampire hunters and they could go so far as to enlist their help to finally finish you guys off or just chase you out of town. But after that, you're certainly going to be under their radar then."   
  
Dave is unable to hide the hurt in his eyes and you instinctively raised a hand to put on his shoulder. He physically flinched away and you dropped your hand, your gaze moving to the floor.   
  
"Of course that's just the worse case scenario!" Jade was quick to offer but Rose's own expression looks solemn.   
  
"We've managed to escape the hunters' radar for this long..." She muttered, her posture rigid. "Maybe it is time to pack up and leave." She said with a hint of finality.   
  
There's a long stretch of tense silence. "What about Jake?" Dirk asked, looking towards Rose.

She shrugged. "We might be able to bring him along." Dave looked to Rose, hope flickering in his eyes. Rose looked away, unable to hold his gaze. "But we can't bring Karkat. They'll certainly make us top priority if we do take someone important from the descendant of a vampire hunter. Jake is an easier case since he has no ties to anyone of much importance here. But convincing him to leave everything behind might be a bit a lost cause... but we could always try."   


Jade shifted uncomfortably from one spot to another. She probably feels like she doesn't belong in this conversation.   
  
Dirk nodded numbly and the silence persists.    
  
Finally, you sighed. "I... I could try and talk to them. Get them to understand that it's my choice." You offered.   
  
Rose paused to think about it before biting her lip once more. "It could work. It's probably our best shot, but we still may have to leave afterwards. Are you okay with leaving everything behind?"   
  
You glanced at Dave who refuses to look you in the eye. You nod. "Yeah. There's not much left for me here anyways."    
  
"What about your friends?"   
  
You looked away, shifting your weight from one foot to the other and nervously fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. "It's my decision." You quietly answered. Rose nodded, prying no further to your relief.   
  
"We'll plan more tomorrow. But it's best if we probably move out of here and back to our house. And we can call up John and Jane to help with fortifying the place, in case another attack is attempted." Rose voiced her thoughts on the matter.

Everyone seemed to be in agreement with this arrangement. "Just give us a sec, then we'll relocate." You say, grabbing an obviously upset Dave by the wrist and pulling him to the hallway, away from prying eyes.    
  
"Hey." You started, cupping his cheeks and moving his head to look at you. He kept his eyes off to the side but eventually, he meets your gaze after a little while of simply caressing his cheeks softly.   
  
"Hey." He mirrored your words, voice soft. Almost fragile.   
  
"It's my turn to tell you that we'll get through this, okay?" You said, knitting your eyebrows in seriousness. "I'll talk to Terezi as soon as I can. I promise we'll get through it."   
  
"What are the chances of any of this going the way we want it to?" He said sarcastically, voice crooked. It sends a sharp pain in your chest. "With my goddamn luck, I'll just get us all fucking killed."    
  
You lightly slap him on the cheek. "Stop that. You're not going to get us killed. I trust you."    
  
He laughed bitterly, the sound sending your gut to the soles of your feet. "I'll only let you down."   
  
You groaned and forcefully hit your forehead against his. You and him both groaned in pain, putting a hand where your heads made contact. "Fucking stop with the utter fecal matter spewing out of your goddamn mouth, Dave. I'm not giving up on you so you shouldn't give up on me either. Everything will work out. I promise you. Everything will go just fine. Terezi will understand."   
  
He looked into your eyes and there's something utterly vulnerable in the way he held you and the way he looked at you. "What if..."   
  
Though his voice trailed off, you didn't need to have him finish his sentence for you to know what he was talking about. "I'll fucking die first before that happens."

He lets out a shuddering breath and pulled you close against him. He kissed your forehead, the action so very affectionate. "Don't fucking say that, you idiot."   
  
"I love you." You reply instead.   
  
He freezes up in place and your heart pounds in your chest. Shit. You said the wrong thing. It's too early. But it's honestly how you feel, and the moment just felt right but maybe he doesn't feel the same and you just fucked up again like you always fucking do and now he's going to leave you and he's going to hate you and-   
  
He hugs you with almost bone crushing strength, as if he never intents on letting you go again. "I love you too." He muttered, his voice soft, almost childlike- afraid.   
  
You return the hug, clutching at the fabric of the shirt you gave him. He smelled of pine, apples, and the distinct scent of the forest. It felt so familiar, safe. You love it.   
  


___x___

  
All of you piled into the cars. Dirk takes the role of driver while Rose sat in the passenger seat, leaving you and Dave alone in the back. Jade had her own car that she drove in and the group of you agreed to meet up at the StriLalonde castle house.   
  
It didn't take long to get there and you all to get there, quickly hurrying inside. Jade began to do the same cloaking ritual she did to your house, telling Dave that he owed her a full week's worth of meals for this as she set up a protection spell on top of everything else.

John and Jane, along with Jake arrived soon after and Rose and Dirk took it upon themselves to debrief the new arrivals on what's happening. Dirk eventually took Jake to a private setting to discuss their departure further. You quietly bid him good luck. You understand the predicament they'll be in and the heavy decision Jake would have to make.   
  
[Dave meanwhile, leads you upstairs, to where you assume his bedroom is.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFUPIuHayRo) You bite your lip nervously as he opened the door, stepping aside to let you in.   
  
The room was obviously large, although sparse. Out of everything you've seen of the place, this one looks like it was just recently moved with the lack of shit around. All that furnished the room was a large king sized bed with white sheets and red accent pillows, a closet on the opposite wall of the bed, and a small desk and chair gathering dust in the corner. The room was immaculately clean for what you expected from Dave.   
  
He smiled sheepishly at you, running a hand through his hair. He had opened a small cabinet beside the bed and grabbed a spare pair of shades. "So..."   
  
You rolled your eyes, trying to feign disinterest. "What the shit did you bring me here for, Dave?" You get right to the point.   
  
His cheeks burned a light tint of pink and he moved his neck faintly to tell you that he's not looking at you. He's looking away from you. "Um... I... I was hoping to get some private time with you."   
  
You never thought you'd see a flustered Dave Strider. But here he is now, practically stumbling over his words and blushing because of you. Heat quickly rose to your own cheeks. "Well, I'm here now. What do you want to do?"   
  
The question was slightly rhetorical. It's clear where this is leading to.   
  
There was a brief pause before he takes his shades off and hangs it around his neck. He crossed the room to where you stood at the foot of the bed and grabbed your hands.

He looked at you seriously, confidence lining his voice. "I want to spend time with you."   
  
There was a hidden meaning behind his words.  _ I want to spend as much time as I can with you _ .    
  
In case your time with him is running out. In case things don't work out and... you can't imagine him being gone after everything. So you don't.   
  
Instead, you reached a hand to touch his face before going on your tippy-toes and initiating the kiss first. His hands were quick to cup your own face, holding you close as he deepened the kiss.   
  
But both of you took your time.   
  
It was a slow burn. He kissed you like he was memorizing the shape of your lips, the feeling of your body against his, the scent of your shampoo. He held you like he was going to lose you.   
  
And it might actually be your first and your last time with him.   
  
But you don't think about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, I'd like to take this time and say thank to those that bothered to cheer me on. It's nice to open up my account to such lovely comments telling me that maybe, I'm so bad after all. Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart <3


	13. Messenger Crow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short as shit chapter and mostly filler. But we're closer and closer to the end now ;u; Get ready guys.

_This is the end_

_Hold your breath and count to ten_

_Feel the earth move and then_

_Hear my heart burst again_

    - [Skyfall, Adele](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_kCH2y8XpI)

  
[Mornings had always been hard. But waking up today was different.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rCyfNpacI4) Today, you weren't greeted with your dark room, ambient light filling the corners. Today, you didn't smell fresh sheets after recently changing them every month. Today, you were greeted by light, white and blinding under your eyelids, a strip of sunshine shining down on you from the mostly light cancelling window sills. Today, you woke up next someone else's body.   
  
He was warm. He was safe.

With an arm slung around your shoulders, and your head resting in the crook of his neck, his shoulders making for perfect pillows, you slowly joined the waking world.  
  
He was absent-mindedly rubbing meaningless patterns over the skin on your shoulder. A pleasant feeling considering the soreness you felt all over your body, especially from the waist down.  
  
"Oh." His voice was light, but absolutely melodious to your ears. "You're awake." He stated. You could just hear the smile in his voice.  
  
"Mmn." You nodded slowly, humming quietly in response.  
  
For a while the two of you simply sit in silence, taking in each other's body warmth, the feeling of bare skin against bare skin in the darkness. It's incredibly relaxing.  
  
But when Dave started to shift, you had to as well, moving to face him face to face as he brought you closer by the waist. You shivered at the electrifying touch, but simply tangle your legs around his and sigh quietly into his skin, throwing an arm around his torso to keep your bodies flush against one another.  
  
"Hey." He muttered into the darkness, muffled only slightly by your hair when he buried his whole face into it.  
  
"Yeah?" You replied casually, a small smile tugging at the corners of your mouth.

"Are you sure?" He inquired, voice low and gruff. It sends memories of last night forward in your brain, when he had whispered sweet nothings into your ear. You close your eyes and ruminate a little, nuzzling further into the crook of his neck.  
  
"Yeah." You replied simply, already knowing what he meant. "I'm sure."  
  
"It'll be dangerous with us. We might not find a place to settle down in for a long while. We could be on the run for weeks. Months. Who knows, maybe even years." He sighed, uncertainty clear in his voice.  
  
You carefully extract yourself from his embrace just enough to be able to lean back and get a good look at his face.  
  
He's as handsome as ever, although his body bares scars of untold stories. Maybe you'll get to hear each and every one of them.  
  
With soft touches, you place a finger where his lip had been busted before pulling away to kiss him softly. "Let me tell you something that's so painfully obvious, it's ridiculous you're still asking me this, shit for brains." You started. "I'm the boy who's got nothing else tying me down to this town. My mother's gone, and my friends... well, let's just say between the two of you, I'm choosing you."  
  
He's silent for a long while, staring at you intently. As if if he blinked, you'd sudden disappear. "But haven't they been your friends since you were a kid? What about all those experiences?"  
  
You paused to consider his words. And then let your heart talk for you honestly. "They were great memories. But that's all they are now. Memories." You mutter. "I don't want to miss this chance to get out of the small town life. I don't want to lose _you_ again. I can't imagine going back to my old routine. It feels like that part of my life is so far away now. And although I've utterly lost control of my comfortable routine, I'm making a decision now, to stay with you, to take control of my own fate. It's the only thing I can control, after all, and I'm choosing this. I'm not going to let anyone else decide for me. I am my own fucking person and I can live my life however I fucking want. And this is what I want."

He seemed to consider your words, before giving a light nod. He smiled in that heart touching way that makes your whole chest tighten. A smile that made his eyes crinkle and show off dimples on his face.  
  
It's infectious. You smile back.  
  
And somehow, the two of you spiral into a first of laughter, holding onto each other for support. There's nothing funny about the whole thing, but you just feel so happy that laughter and bubbling from the bottom of your stomach.  
  
You're happy now. There's no reason to ruin it with thoughts of what could happen later.  
  
All of that can happen when it comes. Later. It can all wait. The fear, the worry, the anxiety, all of it can wait later.  
  
For now, you're joyous in the arms of the one you fell in love with. The person that can make you laugh like you are right now without any rhyme or reason. The person who had bared their heart other you after years of keeping it locked inside of them. The person who you felt the most safest with.  
  
How ironic is it that you felt unbridled fear the first time the two of you met? The first time you found out about this secret world just bubbling under the surface of your normalcy.  
  
But here you are now. Loving the ever loving shit out of your vampire. Yours to keep.  
  
You forget that you need to face the world. That you need to face the present problem of a kidnapped friend.  
  
For now, you're happy.  
  
For now, you're with him.

A question formed at the tip of your lips. "Will you sing for me someday?" It was a stupid question, one that simply popped up in your mind without any prompting. A minor, mostly meaningless thought. But you're curious.

He smiled at that. A silent promise that there will be a next time between the two of you. "'Course, Karbaby. Anything for you." And before you can even complain about the nickname, you find that he's humming to you. It's an unfamiliar tune to your ears, but soothing nonetheless. The rumbling inside his chest as his hums also helps ground you and keep your mind on this moment alone.

You cherish this moment because you have a feeling that things aren't going to go the way you would want them to go no matter how much you insisted it yesterday to calm down Dave.  
  
After all, you're Karkat Vantas. Nothing in your life has ever been easy.

___x___

  
[Eventually, the two of you did have to rouse from your comfortable set up on the bed and finally meet up with the others.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzsb08PQcpA)

As soon as you entered the living room, your previously glowing demeanor dimmed almost immediately at the heavy atmosphere.  
  
John, Jade, and a short haired girl whom you'll assume to be Jane, were hanging about in the dining area all talking and chatting casually in hushed tones. Rose sat by the seat you had previously sat on last you visited. She was holding a small plate with a matching tea cup in her hand, her eyes trained on the brownish liquid that sat in front of her. Dirk was leaning on the chair that Rose sat in, twirling the same sword he used back at 'The Den' and clicking his tongue in a rhythmic form that aligned with the way he was moving his sword around. A dark haired male, one that looked like a lot like John, sat idly opposite of Rose, looking lost and forlorn.

You and Dave descended down the stairs slowly. You stayed on the first few steps, while Dave walked around you to approach his brother and began talking in a similar hushed manner as the trio in the dining room.

You watch Dave's relaxed stance go rigid and absolutely tense. A cold dread seeped through your veins and settled at the bottom of your stomach. Something was wrong, that much was obvious. But what? Aside from their current dilemma, of course.  
  
Finally, you take tentative steps towards the blonde Lalonde after a few minutes of simply soaking in the tense air around the spacious room.  
  
Grabbing a small foot stool sitting just to the opposite side of the brothers, you took a seat and watched the girl as she continued to space out. "Rose?" You finally spoke after a few moments of silence when you were sure she was still too far into her thoughts to acknowledge your existence beside her.  
  
"Hm?" She hummed in inquiry, sitting up straighter from what would pass as a slouch for the violet eyed female. "Karkat. Sorry I didn't notice your presence. I was just thinking..."  
  
Her voice trailed off and before she can retreat back into her own mind, you speak up again. "What happened?" It was a simple enough question, but you felt the need to mutter it, as if speaking any louder will break the fragile calm of the whole room.  
  
She bit her lip, flicking her eyes from you to the tea cup in her hand- one that's surely lukewarm at this point- thrice before letting out a rather dramatically loud sigh. "We received a pad of paper this morning from a crow." She said solemnly, as if that explained everything you needed to know.  
  
Of course it didn't.

"What happened that's got everyone so uptight?" You questioned, waving a hand around the room. At this point, the trio in the dining room had migrated to join you all living room. John casually leaned against the mantle but managed to make even that look awkward. Jade joined the discussion of the two Striders', their voices too low to be heard, and Jane approached Jake carefully, taking a seat on the armrest of the couch.  
  
Rose sighed. "We... we received a message earlier this morning, while you and Dave were..." Her voice trailed off for a moment, leveling you a pointed look. You felt the need to check the time right then and there. You pulled out your phone. One twelve pm. Damn. "We didn't want to intrude on your happy little bubble. It's the least we could do, considering what we're planning to do."  
  
You immediately freeze on the spot at the mention of things related to a plan. "Oh... yeah, I remember."  
  
"Right. But before that, let's go back to the original topic at hand. The message." She cleared her throat.  
  
When she stayed silent for longer than necessary, you prompted her onwards with a light nudge on the arm. She cleared her throat a second time after that. Clearly, this message was something big. That did wonders for your ever present and growing anxiety at the situation at hand.

"It's a crow. On its little feet was... an instruction. The crow had been pecking at the window sill near the dining room early this morning. Jade had let it in, sensing some sort of magical shenanigan with the bird." She spoke softly.  
  
"Let's cut the bullshit. What was on the note?" You could already feel dread clogging up your larynx and choking you slowly to death.  
  
Rose took a long sip of her tea, making a disdainful expression at it before setting it down on the table. "A meet up at warehouse fifty seven. Just a little ways behind the school. It's a short drive, really."  
  
And there it was. Your stomach dropping to soles of your feet. "Was there a set time?"  
  
"Today. Before five pm. They asked to bring you with us." She murmured, voice hushed, a sense of finality to it.  
  
You nodded numbly, sitting stiffly in your seat. "What's the plan then?" You question after a long few moments of letting the silence stew.  
  
Rose bit her black lip. "We'll take you with us and see what happens. There's no time for you to talk to your friends. You'll have to convince them there and then. If that doesn't work out..." She lifted her gaze to you and for the first time, you see fear in Rose Lalonde's eyes. "Please just go back to them. For Roxy. You understand, right? Why it has to be this way?"  
  
You closed your eyes and nod, heart hammering inside your chest. There's no knowing what's going to happen from here on out. But you nod nonetheless. You don't know what you'd do if blood was spilt on either side.  
  
You look to Dave, your heart clenching inside your chest. Memories of last night flood your memory and it takes all your effort not to bawl your eyes out in front of everyone.  
  
"Can you talk to Dave about it?" She murmured.

You nod before you rose up from your seat. You moved to the trio still chatting. Well, only Dirk and Jade are really talking, Dave seemed to kind of just be listening. You tap him on the shoulder and he gives you his attention.  
  
"Let's talk, okay?"  
  
He sighed, nodding. You take his hand and bring him to the now deserted dining room.  
  
"You know the plan right?" You inquired first, looking at him intently. You sighed and reached over to take his shades off and clip it around his neck.  
  
"Yeah, I know. It's a load of bull." He muttered bitterly, refusing to look at you in the eye.  
  
"There's no other choice if we want to do this peacefully. Do you really want to start a fight against them?" You pressed, searching his face. He continued to look solemn.  
  
Finally, when he does meet your eyes, you could see determination in them. "For you?" He mumbled. "In a heartbeat."  
  
You swallowed thickly, ignoring the butterflies that escaped their cages and are now wreaking havoc on your insides. "I'm flattered," You start, "but I don't want anyone risking their life when we could do this without having to shed some blood. I'm not worth it."  
  
He puts his hands on your shoulders, looking at you seriously. "Of course you're worth it. Why would you think otherwise?"  
  
"I don't want to exchange my freedom to be with you in exchange for someone's life. I don't want anyone in this goddamn room to get hurt or worse. Even if I barely know them. And I don't want my friends to get hurt either." You explained, frowning at him. "Especially not you. Alright? If I can protect you, I will."

You see him visibly grit his teeth before wrapping his arms around you and pulled you close against him. He buried his face into our hair and you wrapped your own arms around his torso, pressing against him as much as you can. "I don't want you being hunted by the real hunters. I don't want you to die. So it has to be this way."  
  
The two of you stayed in that position for sometime. "I wish there was another way." He croaked, voice cracking. You held him tighter, if that was still even possible at this point.  
  
"I know." You mutter, patting his back slowly and rubbing soothing circles. "I know."


	14. End Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, shit at confrontations =="" But here you go. Please don't hate me too much.

_Ashes, ashes, we all fall down_

    - [Ring around the rosie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv4FsMFY768)

 

[Your name is Terezi Pyrope and you stand before your guilty criminal.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQym6uQcUmA) Roxy Lalonde was bound and gagged to a chair in the weapons room whilst the rest of your group was out at the moment. It’s just you, her, Eridan Ampora, and Vriska Serket.  
  
You had specified that any delay to the meet will end in the end in the immediate death of your bait. For the past twenty four hours that you've had her, you had personally taken the job of interrogating the vampire. Eridan and Vriska both volunteered to be the one to execute torturous actions in order to coax the truth out of your suspect.  
  
Every two hours, you had come in with your pair of murderous duo to question Roxy. The first death was initiated by a rather trigger happy Ampora, using a hand gun pressed to the girl's temple before firing, the bullet ricocheting off the ground as it exited the other side of her head. She insisted ignorance when the gag was taken off and Eridan didn't even fucking hesitate. You had berated him while Vriska hit him in the upside. You had to mediate between the two before they started killing each other.  
  
It didn't take long for Roxy to gain consciousness though, about five minutes for her brain to complete regenerate, the entry and exit wounds closing up nicely. Although, blood still trickled down either side of her head, a reminder of what happened.  
  
The second questioning got you a bit more information as to Karkat's affiliations with the vampires. You're aware that they have a little witch of their own covering for them, and when you had accused them of brainwashing your best friend, she had denied the fact, baring her fangs at you and trying to bite you when you had gotten too close. At your request, one bullet to the shin, one bullet to the stomach, two bullet to the stomach, three, four, five, six, seven- and she's out of bullets. All by one steel hearted Vriska Serket. The second death occurred with her bleeding out, her white and pink cat shirt soaked with blood.

You could hear the clink of each bullet dropping to the floor as her body regenerated and forced each one out of her body. The sound of it sent chills down your spine.  _They weren't human_. A mantra chanted inside your head.  _They weren't human_. Your mother had told you of the horror stories of loose vampires over the years in history.  
  
"I'm fucking telling you! We didn't do anything to him! He came to us on his own, for fuck's sake-" Bang.  
  
_They weren't human_. You continued to chant, watching the girl gasp and wheeze as Eridan shot her in the throat, leaving a small hole right in her Adam's apple. The bullet lodged itself to the chair she was bound to.  
  
The sight of it- Well, the scent of it,- was suffocating. You almost felt like throwing up with the thick overpowering smell of blood all around you. "That he came to us of his own volition?"  
  
"Why is it so hard to believe that Karkat chose us over you?" She heaved and wheezed, her voice sounding scratchy and high pitched as her vocal chords regenerated.  
  
He would never have chosen them if it wasn't some form of outer force. Right? He wouldn't have. He couldn't. You've been friends for years. You've been friends since the two of you were in diapers. Would he really just throw that all away?  
  
No. He wouldn't.  
  
"Kill her." You had ordered, a deep seated hatred growing in the core of your stomach and taking over you. They took the most precious thing in your life away from you. You won't stand for this.  
  
You turned away from scene, footsteps loud against the concrete, almost in beat with the sound of every bang of a gun.

___x___

  
Everyone was getting ready. You had only called them back to your house that afternoon so they wouldn't have to hear the loud sounds of guns. You know it's deafening and some of your friends don't spend most of their free time on a shooting range unlike Vriska and Eridan.

You watched from the sidelines. You watched Vriska arm herself with revolvers on either side of her waist while she sharpened her long sword. Eridan assemble his rifle, while a crossbow of his own, armed with wooden stakes, sat beside the seat he sat on. Aradia snap her whip to sword combo weapon back from one form to the other. Equius exercise his muscles and lift weights for each of his arm. Sollux reading up on his books of spells and casually holding up as many random things as possible to test the limits of his capabilities. Kanaya raving her chainsaw and polishing it up.  
  
While you stood around, you decided to pick up your own weapon and fiddle with its sharp wooden tipped arrows. You contemplated what was about to go down.  
  
In your mind, all that will happen is a peaceful exchange, Roxy Lalonde for your best friend, Karkat Vantas. Whatever happens, you'll adapt.  
  
All that matters is getting your friend back to safety.  
  
"Pyrope, it's time to move our bait. Come help me move her." Vriska had called out to you, bringing you from your thoughts. You glanced her way and nodded, following her into the weapons room.  
  
"Alright you little bitch, don't make this any more difficult than it has to be." She had spat rather harshly, but you stayed quiet. Roxy simply rolled her eyes, unable to speak with the cloth tightly wrapped around her mouth.

The two of you work to undo the cuffs that bind the girl to the chair. Once her harms are freed, she tried to put up a fuss, flailing her arms around, but it was virtually useless. She hasn't fed for those twenty four hours and the vampire is already clearly weakened by it. You and Vriska easily bind her arms behind her back.

Casually, the spider bitch pulls out her revolver and shoots the girl in one knee. Roxy lets out a loud scream in pain and you watched as tears well up in her eyes. That's when you finally take off the binds around her feet and y he two of you haul her up on her feet.  
  
The three of you move ahead and bring the girl in the car, with her limping her way to it. Vriska shoved her roughly into the seat, and you ignore the pathetic whimper the girl let's out through the muffle of her gag.  
  
Then the rest of you slowly trickle out of the house, getting into your respective seats. Aradia and Sollux gets into the car with you being the driver and Vriska sitting in the passenger's seat. The two of them sat on either side of Roxy, making sure she doesn't get out.  
  
The others left go into the other car and before long, the rest of you pull out from the driveway and head for warehouse fifty seven.

 

___x___

  
[You watched as everyone scrambled about the house in an attempt to get ready in the few hours they have before the designated time of the meet up.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhPNuBi8pJM)

Rose had changed into some practical jeans and combat boots, a sheath equipped at her thigh with what seems to be her preferred weapon hidden inside. Dave had gotten himself out of the pit of despair at your coaxing and armed himself with his own sword and sheath, despite the expression that looked like he just got beaten up and stomped on. Dirk had his own blade at the ready, having already changed into proper gear since this morning. Even John and Jane were ready to support the family of vampires in an attempt to get Roxy Lalonde back. Jake was told to wait at the house, while Jade did another protection spell on him before joining the others.  
  
You, on the other hand... You were just a bargaining chip. You didn't have to do anything else other be present.  
  
And it didn't take long before all of you had to pile back into the car's to make your way to the warehouse.  
  
The drive was particularly short. Shorter than you'd like. You were a bundle of nerves, thoughts and what if scenarios flashing through your head one after the other. What could be the worst that could happen?  
  
What could the worst that could happen is some ending up dying on either side if ever escalated to a fight. If weapons needed to be drawn and used. You don't want that happening.  
  
The best way to really describe the warehouse is a big abandoned piece of concrete. All of the industrial sized doors were closed tight, large padlocks keeping them tied to the ground and keeping them shut. But one of them was opened, and upon closer inspection, it looks like padlock keeping it shut had been melted off.  
  
It gave you shivers to think about Sollux's magical capabilities. What else can he do?

But then again, your mind wanders to Harley. You've got your own resident witch to keep him busy if this does delve into a fight. You really really hope it doesn't.  
  
Your group slowly entered through the already opened entryway, watching the dying rays of the sun filter through large window panes all around the warehouse. It was a big empty space.  
  
And right on the other side was the people you came out here to meet in the first place.  
  
Eridan, Vriska, Equius, Sollux, Aradia, Kanaya, and at the center of it all, Terezi Pyrope in what looked to be a teal suit. One she wears around when playing prosecutor. Your heart does a flip at the sight of everyone gathered with their own weapons at the ready. And seeing Roxy between Vriska and Eridan only made things feel really real to you.  
  
_This was happening_.  
  
The group of you walked forward but stopped after sometime, still leaving some distance between your group and you.  
  
There was thick tension in the air. It leaves your throat clogged up and dry. Nobody makes a move.  
  
You look towards Dave, silently asking permission to move ahead to talk to Terezi. He nodded reluctantly, but it still took you a few more minutes to get each action from your mind to your body. You quietly stepped forward and as soon as you moved, so did Terezi, until she was jogging up to meet you halfway.  
  
Glancing back at the others from the corner of your eyes, you clench and unclench your fists repeatedly to stop them from trembling. You're unarmed in a warehouse full of armed people with a vendetta against each other. It doesn't exactly do good things to your nerves. And even if you did have a weapon, it's not like you knew how to use it, much less actually fight. With your condition and all, you'd be wheezing and dying on the floor within a few minutes into a battle.

She stopped in front of you, expression a mix of a lot of things. Anger, worry, relief? She took a tentative step towards you, raising a hand before finally gaining courage when you didn't back away to wrap her arms around you.  
  
Guilt immediately ate up your insides when you hear her bite back a sob. You've made her worry so much these past few days. How selfish can you get? The least you can do is stay here with her, despite the empty feeling that leaves you at the thought of letting Dave go.  
  
This is the only way.  
  
You try and refrain from looking back at Dave, feeling tears sting at the edges of your eyes. Instead, you cautiously wrap your arms around her too, pulling her close, as if that would somehow be enough to atone for all the selfish shit you've been up to.  
  
You know she sees them as threats. Who knows what could have been running around in her mind at seeing you willingly interact with the others? You hope you didn't push her into paranoia.  
  
But perhaps, just maybe, you can get her to call your other friends off and let you go with Dave. Make her understand that this was your choice.  
  
"Karkat..." She muttered into your clothes, and you feel another stab of cold hard guilt pressed agonizingly into your guts. She sounds so broken and tired of worrying for you.  
  
You begin to regret the things you've done and thought of in the past few days. Terezi was your bestest friend in the world. How could you do this to her? Betray her like this.  
  
You're a shitty human being that should never have existed in the first place. It's your fault that all of this is even happening. If you weren't in the equation, everyone wouldn't be in such danger.

But... Some part of you is telling you that you deserve your own happiness. Yet the feelings of self-loathing was just too much for you to hear it. You don't deserve anything. You're just a lonely and scared little boy living all alone in a small town you'll never get out of.  
  
It's only right. This is your atonement for your selfishness.  
  
You don't deserve Dave's love. You don't deserve anyone's love.  
  
"Karkat..." She repeated, finally slowly pulling away from you. You heaved a breath, feeling your chest heavy with all the sins you've committed. She touched your cheek with one gloved hand. "You're alright, right?"  
  
Before you can even reply, she traced her fingers from your cheek, down to your neck and across the smooth skin of your collarbone. Her hand stills the bite mark still visible on your neck. Shit.  
  
You totally forgot that Dave had bitten you in such an obvious place. You're well aware of the four red dots on your skin, perpendicular to each other. It almost feels like it's burning unbelievably hot, but that could just be you and your oncoming wave of embarrassment on top of everything else.  
  
You watch her expression go from relief to anger before finally settling on horrified. "They didn't use you as a blood bank, right? Do you have anymore bites? What did they do to you??" She questioned, rapid firing out each other with haste in a single breath.  
  
She quickly took your arm and started inspecting you elsewhere, but you pull away, taking a step back from her. You regret this move, watching hurt cross her features for a moment.  
  
"I'm fine, Tez." You tell her gently before reclaiming the spot close to your best friend. She's got her lips pursed, seemingly unbelieving of that statement.

"Are you really? Why are you with them, Karkles?" She questioned once more and it stings in your heart to hear the desperation in her voice. You can tell that she's refusing to believe the most obvious reason as to why you're willingly hanging around vampires.  
  
"I wanted to." You said curtly. "It was my choice."  
  
She clearly stiffened at this statement, before laughing nervously, so unlike her confident cackling that it unnerves you even more. "You're joking, right?" She muttered, voice breaking. "You couldn't have let them actually  _feed_ from you, right? They've gotta have been doing some sort of manipulation here- hell, they've got a fucking witch to do it too!" Her voice was steadily increasing and you don't bother to look behind you to know that they're getting ready to back you up if needed.  
  
You simply grab your best friend by her arms and force her to look (you know what you meant) at you. "Terezi, they did nothing to me, okay? It was my choice. I'm not in any danger. They're,- they're- Look, they're not as bad as you all think them to be. Not Dave."  
  
She stared at you, brows knitted together tightly. Her body trembled lightly in your hold. "They're merciless killers, Karkat." She whispered, almost hissed. "Do you know I don't have a father anymore?"  
  
You still at that.  
  
Terezi fights back another sob as she spoke. "He was killed in one of the hunts with my mother, Karkat! Not just killed, they fucking strung up his organs around the forest my mom was excavating as a warning to the rest of the hunters. They're  _predators_." She insisted, tears freely running down her eyes now.

"That's..." You muttered. That's... what? Horrible? Far more than the world can encompass. It's worse than horrible. But the vampire that must've done something so inhumane could've been one with their humanity off. That's the only time a vampire becomes that dangerous.

"Terezi, not all vampires are like that- see, they have this switch thing and-" before you can explain, you feel a sharp pain in your cheek.  
  
It takes you far too long to register the way that Pyrope's hand had flown up and slapped you across the face. She was gritting her teeth, expression torn between anguish and hatred. You nursed your cheek with one hand, staring at her, wide eyed.  
  
"Karkat." She said, voice like steel. Hard and solid. "Who do you really side with?" She pressed. "Because you can't have both."  
  
There it was.  
  
The finality in her voice.  
  
You can't have both. The words only really sinks in now. You know that if you turned away now, a fight will break out. Terezi won't hesitate, she won't blame you- she'll still continue to blame them- she'll blame them for stealing her best friend away, something precious to her.  
  
You stand still, the silence of the room deafening.  
  
You watched the sun's last dying glow set from the Windows that surrounded you. The sunset wasn't actually visible, the forest covered the horizon, but the light still shone through the windows.  
  
You take a big gulp.  
  
No other choice.  
  
It was obvious from the start, right?

"Terezi, I'm sorry." You start and quickly continue when you watched her face fall. "I'm sorry for everything I've done, for betraying you. But really, all they're trying to do is survive- to live. And if going with you means that you'll leave them alone, then I will. I promise. I'll stay by your side this time." You tell her voice gentle.  
  
Even if you felt like crying. You won't get to see him again after this encounter. The plan discussed was that they'll leave right after this peaceful exchange.  
  
This is your repentance.  
  
Terezi seemed to relax at that. "Let Roxy go and I'll go back into town with you and the rest of our friends." You request of her and she cautiously nodded.  
  
"C'mon." She muttered, voice low. She took your hand into hers and slowly led you back to the other side where the rest of your friends are. She lets go of you and walked up to Eridan and Vriska.  
  
"Let her go. I've got Karkat and he's safe. That's all that matters." She said, relief clear in her voice. Vriska looked at her incredulously.  
  
"Wait, that's it? We're just going to let them go?" She hissed, tugging on the Roxy's arm harshly and forcing her to stumble forwards on her limping leg. Terezi kept her lips a thin line.  
  
"We had a plan. And the plan was to let everyone go once we've got Karkat back." She said, standing straighter and looking like a proper leader right then and there. You admired her for a moment.  
  
"Fuck that noise." Eridan spoke up, wrenching the blind girl's crossbow from her hands and aiming it at a random target on the other side and firing. He did all of this in one fluid movement, your eyes barely catching up.

An arrow whizzed past your face and you immediately turned around to watch it head for Dave, only for him to sidestep and avoid it, the arrow ending up lodged at the back of the warehouse.  
  
"ERIDAN! What the fuck! We had a fucking plan, stick to it! We didn't come here for a fucking massacre, on either side!" Terezi shouted, wrenching her crossbow back from the scarf toting jackass.  
  
["This isn't just a negotiation anymore Pyrope.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD2XABdfoQM) Wwe're so close and they're all right here." He growled. "Noww's the time to eradicate these bastards."  
  
"This is insubordination!" She screeched, trying to stop Eridan from running face first into battle, but it was a futile effort.  
  
"Wwho put you in charge?" He snapped, glaring at her eye to eye for a moment before pushing past her with his own crossbow.  
  
Terezi looked to Vriska but she was quick to draw her own sword from its sheath. "Ampora is right, Terezi. It's now or never." She said with a hiss before letting go of the blonde and running forward, following Eridan.  
  
And before you know it, the rest of your friends join them without hesitation.  
  
Chaos breaks out.  
  
Terezi was quick to grab your arm and pull you off to the side, pushing you into a pile of boxes and random forklift equipment that managed to act as a sort of fort around you to keep you safe. "Sit your ass down and stay there!" She ordered, voice shrill, before running back out to cover the rest of your friends.

You did as she said, the shock of everything still catching up with you.  
  
Everything was going so well. The transaction was about to be done without any bloodshed. Hell, it was about to be done without a single nasty word or hateful banter happening between either side. It had been peaceful.  
  
But watching everything now, you wonder what went wrong.  
  
_Eridan fucking Ampora_.  
  
Your blood boils in anger at the thought of what he'd just done. Stupid asshole doesn't know any better. Someone was guaranteed to die with the rate they were all going right now.  
  
Maybe more.  
  
Oh god, you don't even want to think about who you could lose in this fight. You can't afford to lose anyone knowing that this was all your fault. The person who dies will be on your hands. You caused this. You were the catalyst.  
  
How can anyone forgive you after this?  
  
You look up at the pandemonium playing in front of you, running your hands through your hair roughly as you sat on a  fucking crate, utterly  _useless_. You throat constricts, your mouth feels dry, your insides were twisting up in the most uncomfortable ways possible, your hands were twitching and your body was trembling.  
  
You clench your hands into fists until your knuckles turned white.  
  
_This is all your fault._

You grit your teeth and finally stand up and peak out from around the corner of one of the boxes filled with equipment.  
  
Each one was occupied with someone.  
  
Jade and Sollux were obvious. Of course the witch and mage would try to out magic each other. You can see arrows being redirected in all sorts of places, forklifts being throw across the room only for it to stop mid throw and drop to the ground with a resounding 'thud' before it can even make contact with Sollux or any of his friends. Looks like Jade is trying to juggle the fight with Sollux whole also trying to offer some help to the other vampires.  
  
You see a quick and agile Rose trying to evade hits from Equius as he lurched forwards for her. The battle between them seems to be one sided with Rose trying as best as she can not to inflict any actual wounds against the brute, at least, not more than she needs to. She seemed pretty determined in just out maneuvering him and tiring him out, which looked to actually be working. A quick glance around and you know everyone is reluctant to fight the determined hunters. But they've got no choice.  
  
Dave is fending off Ampora who keeps swinging forward, taking the offensive side as much as he can while Dave tried to simply get out of the fight. But the Ampora seemed dead set on keeping him engaged in the sword fight. The blond doesn't retaliate until he eventually got hit, a clean slice on the arm while he tried to evade the weapon. After that, the clashing of swords really started to bounce and echo around the wide space of the warehouse. Both were not engaged in trying to one up the other and inflict injury to the other. Dave eventually does get Eridan in the shin when the other had been too slow to dodge the sweeping movement of Dave's sword around his legs.

Terezi seemed to just try and shout at everyone on her side to stop, not engaging anyone in a fight. But it's clear that no one is listening to her at all, instead most likely tuning her out and continuing on with their respective fights.  
  
Aradia was easily sparring between Jane and John, using her whip masterfully. She'd pressing swords against Jane's trident like weapon and when John recovers from the previous hit Aradia dealt on him and goes on the offensive, she'd easily duck under and smoothly side step out of the way letting Jane and John's momentum end in him hitting each other in an awkward tangle of limbs. But they're quick to recover and Aradia is kicking Jane square in the stomach to get her away from her while also dodging John's swings with his hammer moments after. It's a careful dance.

Kanaya was off to the side, seemingly lost as she watched Rose tangle with the brute. She looked lost at everything and you know how that feels.

Vriska was in a brutal battle against Dirk, using only one hand to fight against the Strider while her other hand gripped the forearm of Roxy, occasionally using her as a sort of meat shield. At some point during the battle, she's gotten ahold of Lalonde once again. This obviously affects Dirk, seemingly lowering his abilities in order not to accidentally hit his sister. Vriska seemed to be taking delight in using the girl to her advantage.  
  
At one point, Vriska holds the girl in front of her, arm keeping her pressed against her body by the neck and shoulders while she holds her sword out to keep Dirk at a distance. She seemed to be tired out from the fight and was slowly taking steps backwards while Dirk looked to be trying to strategize inside his head to best free his sister.

But it looked to be that Roxy didn't need any help getting herself freed. Because the girl let's her fangs extend, sclera of the eyes turning black, before she sinks her teeth into the exposed arm of Serket. This effectively gets her to curse loudly and let go out of the girl, letting her run make her way to the only entry point the rest of you had used to get inside the building in the first place.  
  
But something unexpected happens.  
  
From out of nowhere, a flash of  _something_ made its way to Roxy, impaling her from the back... [and straight through the heart.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF19YWRo4hQ)  
  
Your eyes retrace where the wooden stake had been released only to see Eridan on the floor, his own crossbow leveled while Dave stands above him, victorious in their fight. But he seemed to use this opportunity to make a grab for the crossbow previously sitting just sitting idly on his back.  
  
And lucky shot, it pierced through Roxy Lalonde's heart.  
  
You hear Jane release a loud shout of the girl's name, followed by an expletive as she left her left her spot in the battle with Aradia in favor of running towards the wounded girl that's fallen from her knees to the floor.  
  
And in a flash of light, the fighting continued, only to bear more casualties as they were caught off guard.

Dirk was the first to recover, grabbing the first enemy nearest to him, which happened to be Aradia, and mercilessly sinking his sword through her abdomen from behind before she could even react.  
  
You watch, horrified as he pulled the sword from where it was sunk to its hilt in the girl's back. Dark, red, viscous blood rolled from the sword and onto Dirk's hand and down the pavement floor. Red continued to blossom on Aradia's abdomen, like the roses she admired. Then, he pulls the sword clean off of her frame and lets her fall to the floor, taking a step back, his face utterly unreadable and impassive.  
  
But what catches your attention was Dave had gotten Eridan and pinned him on the wall, sword ready to do the same as to what Dirk did the poor girl. You immediately jumped from your hiding spot and shout his name, and to your relief, this was enough to get his attention.  
  
You shake your head at him and he drops Ampora a second after.  
  
All was quiet for what felt like eternity, but more likely only lasted a single second.  
  
And before you knew it, the building was rumbling and you see cracks forming on the walls. Your head snapped towards Captor, watching him cradle Aradia's limp form just as the first signs of the building collapsing occurred with a chunk of concrete falling to the floor.  
  
Everything was a blur after that, with Rose shouting your name before running after you and picking you up when you refused to move our react to everything that was happening around you.  
  
You barely even register the shrapnel that’s come from the metal roofing of the place that’s managed to lodge itself in your midsection as concrete burst the sharp pieces of metal upon impact on the ground.

Barely registered the blood pooling all around you, or the thumping of boots on concrete as they ran while you're swept off your feet. Or the fact that you were being haphazardly thrown into the car before it sped away from the collapsing building. Barely registered the loud shouting all around you. Barely registered the pain on your stomach.

You just wonder who else got hurt. Who got out safely

Your vision was swimming as you stared up at the ceiling of the car, motionless. The edges of it was darkening at a rapid rate.

Until all you can see is black.


	15. A Passing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go! I'm still working on the epilogue so I don't know when that'll be out, but it's in the works!

_Yes I understand_

_That every life must end_

_As we sit alone_

_I know someday we must go_

    - [Just breathe, Pearl Jam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5bAawsa7_s)

 

[Karkat Vantas died at twelve forty five pm, on April seventeenth, at St. Maryam's hospital.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H6CUWsOPXA)

He was at critical level when they did get him to the hospital. You didn't want to part with him at all, holding his hand along the way, as long as they allowed you to before he was hauled off into the emergency room.  
  
You waited exactly six hours, fifty five minutes, and thirty three seconds before the doctors finally came out of the emergency room.   
  
The doctors had looked at you sympathetically and explained to the three of you. "I'm sorry but we tried everything we could."   
  
"Bullshit." You muttered under your breath, sitting with your head glued to the floor.   
  
The doctor gave you a weary glance, but you ignored him. "There were just too many complications, his-" You began tuning him out at this point, staring at the tiled floor. It really is a nice tile. Asymmetrical, perfectly square in front of you. And white, so very white. Not a sign of dirt or floor filth you'd expect from a public hospital's floor. They've got nice floors. They should thank their janitors for doing such a damn good job at cleaning the floor. Maybe give that man or woman a fucking raise for going the extra mile in cleaning their floors.   
  
"- Dave." You snap your head to meet your sister's twilight eyes, the purples and violets melting into amber and golden yellow. Her eyes are kind, looking at you with the utmost empathy she could muster. She's trying to understand and feel your emotions to better help you.   
  
But nothing can help.   
  
He's gone and you're still here. She's gone and you're still here.   
  
How can she ever help you?

"Dave." She said more firmly, shifting to reach a hand to the arms of your shades and carefully pulled them off. You stared at her, knowing how cold and impassive your face is. Rose folds the arms of your shades and sits it carefully on her lap. She keeps her eyes down on it for a beat longer than necessary before meeting your eyes again.  
  
She heaved a sigh, and her expression shows the same weariness you're familiar with. You've seen it on your face, in front of the mirror. She looked tired, exhausted even, and her age shows in her facial expression. She looked older than seventeen, the age she died at.   
  
"Dave." She started carefully, enunciating your name like she could get it wrong and you'd snap. "I know-"   
  
You hold up a hand and turn your gaze back to the floor. "I know what you're going to say. So just shut your mouth, Lalonde. I don't fucking need it." You spat harshly, but at this point, you don't give a shit about your voice control or having to hide your emotions.   
  
She pursed her lips into a thin line, glancing up at Dirk who looked just as beaten up as Dave.   
  
She heaved another sigh, as if she was holding the world on her shoulders. Then, she takes your hand into her and does the same with Dirk's. And then she squeezed.   


___x___

  
Your name is Rose Lalonde and you've gone through hell and back once again. What is this, the fifth time you've gone back and forth from the shit hole that seems to just encompass your entire life?

You saw this coming. You tried to save them from the heartache, by separating them, but as you expected, they only grew a closer bond from the separation. You knew your brother would only get hurt. Although you didn't entirely anticipate this outcome, you knew in one way or another, Karkat Vantas would break his already fragile heart. If not now then he certainly would've in the future if he were still alive.  
  
But Roxy?   
  
You didn't anticipate it. You knew that if the two sides did clash against each other, that no one would escape completely uninjured. You hoped nobody would die, but it wasn't completely off the table.   
  
But you never expected that it would be Roxy.   
  
And now you're afraid.   
  
Both of your dearest brothers are at the throes of despair. Both are grieving, but you... You? You don't have the time to grieve for the loss of your twin sister. Not if you're going to keep your two stupid, idiotic pair of brothers from turning off their humanity after this whole thing.   
  
Jake can can snap Dirk out of his off switch if it ever came down to it. But Dave? You're afraid for Dave. There's no one to help him get out of it.   
  
Last time, all of you had nearly been caught by hunters with how much attention he brought into all of you the last time he lost his love. 

He had almost wiped out a whole small town with hid feeding frenzy. You remember the blood lust in his eyes the last time he turned off his humanity. You and your brother and sister had found him at the local bar after literally leaving a trail of bodies.

He took the whole bar hostage, shooting the bartenders square in the head. Each one of the, a perfect bullet hole in the forehead. You remember the blood stain and the brain bits clinging to the walls of alcohol. It still gives you shivers to this day.  
  
After that, he decided to feed on each and every single person trapped inside the bar. When the cops came running in after him after they knew that he never intended to let a single person out alive out of the bar, he had shot each one of them too. Even had a field day shooting a few of them again and again until he needed to reload his gun.   
  
The thick stench of blood... The thick, coppery scent of it, clinging to every surface you could imagine... You could almost smell it still if you tried hard enough. And if you closed your eyes, you can remember rather state of the bar. No words can explain your utter disgust.   
  
People littering the floor, some having their necks torn wide open while the lucky few only had varying sizes of open gnashes on their necks and shoulders. All of them, a pale color, drained of blood. The sight of the organs that littered the floor among the dead bodies would make anyone gag and vomit on the spot.   
  
And how your dear, poor brother looked... He was soaked in blood, white shirt turned red with the sheer amount of blood coating his whole body from feeding too roughly. He didn't play nice with his food.   
  
But he acted like it was nothing. When all of you arrived to his most recent string of killings after he had run away from everyone to isolate himself, he had been sitting at the counter of the bar, sat atop a stool and taking shots of gin.   
  
He bothered to wipe the blood from his mouth, but he didn't particularly care that the rest of him was absolutely dripping with dark crimson blood.

"Finally you guys made it. Sadly, I forgot to reserve some for you guys to feed on too, so sorry for that. Maybe in the next town over, I'll leave the prettiest ones for you guys." He had casually said, throwing the words with that thick southern drawl he picked up on from your time down south on purpose.   
  
No words can ever describe how awful those things he had done to those people.   
  
The police never sent backup, knowing that they'll all just be killed mercilessly too. They were smart to do that.   
  
The only way they got him to snap out of it is when he met John, another vampire who was travelling around casually with his sister, Jane. John had kissed Dave at one of his murderous rampages. But once Dave turned his humanity back on, John had let him down easy, saying it was so he would stop the killings. John kept him sane and helped him get over the grief from realizing all of the terrible shit he had done while his humanity was turned off.   
  
But now, you're not so sure that John break him out of his spell if Dave does decide to flip the switch now.   
  
There's no way of knowing. For now, you stay beside your remaining brothers, holding their hand like it was your lifeline. It might as well be.   
  
Eventually though, you know you had to go back and pack your things to leave town.   
  
Dirk had agreed to get into the car with you, but Dave had stayed quiet and still after the few words he had told you when you tried to console him. He was as still as a statue, unmoving, and it worried you to no end about what he could be thinking of at that moment.   
  
You really don't like the idea of leaving Dave, but Dirk had suggested to just give him some space. Pushing him and suffocating him might force him to turn off the switch.

So, you decided to trust you your brother and left to go back to the StriLalonde mansion in anticipation of your leave for the next town before the real hunters catch whiff of your stay at the town.  
  
These past decades of trying to keep a low profile to avoid the hunters once you did get them off your tail way back then, would all go to waste if you were caught now.   
  
You kiss your brother on the cheek before you stood up and strolled out of the hospital, holding Dirk's hand tightly in yours.   


___x___

  
It's only been thirty minutes since they left when an unexpected visitor comes around with tears in her eyes.   
  
Terezi Pyrope, with her ginger hair and her teal suit and sharp walking cane, crossbow hanging from her waist. She had been running down the halls until she slowed to a jog at the sight of you. She stands around you for a long while, looking all around her before fixing her gaze on you and sniffling.   
  
"Is he...?" She had spoken, voice so soft and barely audible. Her hand was raised, pointer finger pointing in the direction of the thick plastic door that's directly to your right from where you're sitting.   
  
All the answer you could give her is a numb nod. She covers her mouth and let's forth another sob. Her tone would've been heart wrenching if you had the ability to feel. But you can't. Everything is just dull and numb, like you aren't even entirely here. Like you're just watching from outside your body.

She moved from her spot standing just outside his hospital door to take a seat on your immediate left, leaving her cane to rest against one of the other chairs while she covered her own face with her hands, continuing to sob into it.  
  
It was like this for a tense few minutes until she began to speak again, breaking the silence. "I-I'm... S-so s-so- _sniff_ \- sorry." She said, almost as if she was pleading for forgiveness.   
  
But you... just feel so tired. You can't muster up the anger that you know is just hiding under the surface of your calm. You want to shout at her, tell her how this is all her fault in the first place, to berate and blame her until she's a crying puddle of shame in front of you. But you just. Can't.   
  
"'S 'kay." Was the words that you do manage to get out.   
  
No.   
  
Everything was not 'okay'. They're the furthest from okay, but you can't bring yourself to yell and shout and scream. And you know that's not what he would've wanted you to do.   
  
You let yourself remember him for a moment. Standing back at the warehouse, eyes catching the last rays of the dying light as he called your name.   
  
His last words had been your name.   
  
Your heart clenched at the thought, and for the first time since the operation, you feel like crying. You feel like crying until there's nothing left in you to cry. You could feel the familiar sting of tears at the edges of your eyes and you take in a long shuddering breath. Your shades was safely tucked away into your shirt's neckline.   
  
You remember his voice. Loud and clear against all the commotion happening all around you. You feel like there's a giant void in the middle of your stomach, a hole that can never be filled again.

He made you feel the same way as he had previously done. You felt like you've met him before, and maybe, he is the reincarnation of your first love. You've always felt that stinging familiarity at the back of your head when you're around him, as if you've done this all before. Deja vu.  
  
Maybe you have met him before.   
  
But losing him a second time? You're not sure your heart can handle it if you let yourself feel for even a second. To accept that this whole thing was happening. You don't know what you'd do.   
  
But you know it's not how he would've wanted you to react at his passing. He's human after all, and you're... You're you. Immortal and unable to age. Forever nineteen years old.   
  
Your just not sure if his judgement on you from beyond the grave would be enough to stop you from doing what you do to grieve. Which is turning off your humanity.   
  
You don't have to deal with this.   
  
You don't have to accept this.   
  
And you can't.   
  
You won't.   
  
You-   
  
There's a light tap on your shoulder that brings your attention away from your thoughts. You had been so close to flipping the switch, had been flirting and a touching the edges of it. But you're brought back to reality by Terezi who's got a concerned expression on her face.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, and this time, she is actually pleading for your forgiveness. "I-I... I never meant for any of this to happen- they didn't go with t-t-the plan and-and-... I'm so sorry."  
  
Why should she be saying sorry to you? "Why?"   
  
"You guys... had a thing right?" She had inquired, before snorting. "I'm so fucking stupid for being blind to it. I'm literally already blind but I just had to go and be blind to the signs that Kar-... That he obviously loved one of you to be so willing to embrace the rest of you." She said with bitterness in her voice that you know is directed at herself.   
  
You also take note that she avoided saying his name. You're not sure for whose sake it was, her own or for you, but either way, you're glad for it. You can't handle hearing his name right now.   
  
To her question, you simply nodded. For some reason, you don't really want her to know about the two of you and how things had been. It feels like that should only be kept between you and him.   
  
"I'm sorry. He's my best friend too, all I wanted was to keep him safe. But I fucking failed at that spectacularly." She said, sarcasm dripping from her voice like viscous glue. "I just... I've heard bad hints about your kind and what you're all capable of doing. And that scares me."   
  
After this, she finally goes quiet when there's a lack of response from you.   
  
You like the silence.   
  
But of course it doesn't take long before she's speaking again. "His things... back at home, he's things. He always said he wanted to be buried with a picture of him and his mother. To be buried next to her." This finally caught your attention, enough to give her a reply.   
  
"He already had a plan about his own funeral?"   
  
She froze for a moment before sniffling once more and wiping away at her tears. Her eyes are trained on the wall in front of her. "He... thought a lot about death in the first few years his mother died." She spoke, voice a whisper, as if she was telling you a secret.

You simply nod to urge her on before remembering that the ginger is blind. So, you hum in verbal confirmation for her to go on.  
  
"I'd usually say this isn't my tale to tell and that you should ask him but..." She paused, gulping down a lump in her throat. "He wasn't exactly mentally healthy at the time. He's tried to off himself once, which is why we set up a system to have at least one person always sleeping over with him."   
  
When she doesn't say anything more after this, you speak up again. "Why are you telling me all this?"   
  
Terezi shrugged. "I don't know... I guess I want to fulfill his request." She muttered. "But I feel like I shouldn't be the one to fulfill it."   
  
She turned her head to you, her features unobscured by the red glasses at the top of her head. Her milky eyes looked back at you, and for a moment, you feel like she could see right through you and your facade.   
  
"You... want me to do it?" You muttered quietly, even though the answer was already obvious to you. 

  
"I feel like I have no right to. I... I ruined everything. I feel like I'm not even allowed to grieve for him. I was selfish and I never thought about his own happiness. I just wanted him safe." She sighed, brushing her hand across her nose and sniffling again. "So... I feel like you should be the one doing this."   
  
This is cruel.   
  
To ask you to go back to his home and look for a picture of his family? It feels like an invasion of privacy. And what's more, you'll probably come across so many more things that belonged to him and you're sure it would make your heart ache. But it was his request. So of course you'll do it for him.

She abruptly stood up. "I'll... leave you to it." She said somewhat awkwardly. "Please do it for him."  
  
And before you know it, she's gone.   


___x___

  
[You had driven from the hospital back to his house for quite some time.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh6MTv8NsI4) How ironic that their hospital is near the edge of town, making it harder for some to actually reach it? The irony levels would make you laugh if you were capable of emoting.   
  
His house was still stands idly in the middle of the forest. For some reason, you had expected it to already be run down with overgrown grass taking over the cobble stone path leading up to his porch. But there it was, still standing in pristine condition. Just the way he liked it. Clean and tidy. Something in your chest instinctively tightens.   
  
You pulled up to his driveway and carefully stepped out from your car to head up the door. Your surprised to find that it's unlocked. You step inside.   
  
The whole place was eerily quiet, but that's what you expected from an empty home. Everything was still in place, everything untouched. The pizza box from before when you had intruded into his home was still on the table, the other half of the pizza uneaten and cold.   
  
You closed the top of the pizza box and shifted to throw it down the trash bin under one of the counters.   
  
With a sigh, you took in the sight of the place. The ambient lighting was still lit all around the room, bathing the dark couch in a dark orange light. It reminds you of the night he had kissed you, the night you had held him inside his bedroom. Your breath hitched.

Approaching the couch, you checked the little clock sitting on the counter table beside one of the couches. It's about one twenty six in the morning now. You've still got plenty of time.  
  
You simply strolled around the home then, checking his bedroom. It was also bathed in ambient lighting, the bed perfectly made, and not a thing out of place. It's as if nobody has ever lived in here in the first place. Actually, the whole house was pretty much the same thing, not a thing out of place and extremely clean and tidy. It's like it was ready to be put up for sale. A home never lived in. A home never loved.   
  
You grit your teeth, roughly running a hand through his hair. With a sigh, you moved to check the closet, and finding a few boxes at the the top shelf. You decide to look into them, hoping that the picture would be put away somewhere inside one of them.   
  
The first box was just filled with old clothes, and the more you dig into them, the more you realized that these clothes were old clothes of a younger Karkat. You find that they get smaller and smaller, and you guess that it's probably from junior high all the way down to elementary age. The thought of seeing a smaller version of him gets your heart to tighten and made it hard for you to breathe.   
  
One of the smaller clothes even have old dark mystery stains on them and it makes you smile a little at the thought of what he could've done to leave it there that even cleaning it wouldn't get it cleaned.   
  
Thinking about kid Karkat makes your eyes misty, so you put the clothes back and closed the box, shaking your head and pushing away the strong desire to see a younger Karkat.   
  
You check the next box instead. The next few boxes you've unearthed were pretty much the same. Old clothes that didn't fit him anymore.

Until you stumbled into a box filled will old things. They were mostly forgotten things, little trinkets and toys and other things like that. The more you dug into the box, the easier it is for you to see a picture frame sticking out.  
  
You're careful to pull it out, biting your lower lip at the sight of it.   
  
It was what you were looking for.   
  
It was a picture, the glass of the frame shattered, creating a web like design across the photo.   
  
The subject of the photo was a small little family of four, one of them you could easily recognize despite the age. There was a pretty brunette on the left and a man with his face crossed out on the right. The female who you assume to be his mother was smiling brightly in the photo, wearing a flowery dress. In her arms was a small child frowning into the camera like he was going to murder whoever was on the other side. You smile. So. He's default expression has been like that ever since childhood, huh?   
  
On the right, in the middle of the two parents, stood another boy who looked to be about the age of nine or ten, crossing his arms and only smiling faintly into the camera, expression peaceful. He was wearing a dark red long turtleneck sweater.   
  
You turn the picture frame around for a moment, wondering why and who could've blotched out the face of his father. Maybe it was his mother who didn't know how to really grieve the loss while simultaneously taking care of two young boys.

You feel a lump in your throat, thinking about your own family. Not a single photo of your family altogether exists with how Roxy and Rose were sent away early before you even knew they existed. And not a single photo survived the fire of your mother. You don't really give two shits about your father, he was barely home and barely acknowledged you and Dirk anyways.  
  
You think of Roxy and her lifeless body slumped over in Jane's arms as she cried profusely, cheeks like a river of tears.   
  
You feel hollow inside at the things you've lost. At the people you'll never get to interact with again.   
  
You'll never hear Roxy lose her shit again at something Dirk said despite it not being humorous at all, all while being mildly tipsy. You'll never hear her snoring when she crashes on the couch after partying a little too hard that night. You'll never get to see her overcome her alcoholic tendencies, one she's been working on for years now. You'll never hear her bitch about losing Mario kart to Dirk ever again. You'll never see her crooked knowing smile whenever she caught you staring at Karkat. You'll never get to properly introduce the two of them, and you'll never see them interact.   
  
You'll never see him interact with any of your remaining family members. You'll never hear him laugh or even see him lose his shit at your own stupidity. You'll never hear his voice again, quiet and loving and so very near you at nights. You'll never hold him in your arms, body warm with a beating a heart. You'll never get to do the things you've always wanted to with him.   
  
You'll never do a lot of things without him. Like go watch movies. Visit an amusement park. Hold hands walking around the park. Go on dinner dates. You'll never experience those things with him.   
  
And you are not okay with that.   
  
It took you a moment to realize that you had been gripping the picture's frame with a white knuckle grasp. You quickly let go of all the tension and let your grip slacken.

It also took you another moment to realize that the droplets on the picture had been tears that's fallen from you.  
  
No.   
  
You refuse to accept this.   
  
You're not letting him go. You're not losing anymore people precious to you.   
  
Not if you can do something about it.   
  
You start putting things back into their respective boxes, and put them back where you had seen them. But you kept the photo clutched in your hands as you closed the closet before making your way out of the bedroom.   
  
You take one last look around the house and sigh. You check the clock. It's two thirty two. After that, you're out the door and getting into your car, headed back to St. Maryam's hospital.   


___x___

  
[It's a total of fifteen minutes to get back to the hospital.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpbX7SbXOtU) But, you make it without anymore incident.   
  
You stalked the halls of the brightly lit hospital, not minding the stares you got from the nurses that shuffled around and past you, doing their own nightly duties. Your focus is solely to the hospital room that they keep him in.   
  
Room four thirteen. You quietly entered the room, your blood running cold at the sight in front of you. You've never actually checked to see him after the doctors had finished their operations on him, so you didn't know what you were expecting.

But there he was, a lump under a white sheet on the hospital bed. Suddenly, you feel your knees are shaky and your fingers twitchy. You still hold the picture frame in one hand, but you're careful not to drop it and destroy it further.  
  
Shuffling over to the bed, you stand staring at the white sheet where his face would be for far longer than that's probably normal. You most likely look like a creep. But your hands stay at your sides, like they're far too heavy to lift and pull the sheet away from his face.   
  
So, you just keep on staring.   
  
You realize that you're afraid, but you shouldn't be. You're going to help him. So what difference does it make if seeing him confirms the fact that he's dead? He won't be like that for long anyways. 

When you finally convince your own head that this was the right choice, you reach a hand over and carefully and cautiously pull the sheet of blanket away from his body.  
  
He looked so peaceful, just lying there, motionless. He looked like he was just asleep, but you know better. He's far too pale to be apart of the living.   
  
You tentatively reach a hand out and brush your thumb briefly across his lips. He's so cold to the touch. And when you flatten your palm on his chest, there's nothing there.

With a shuddering breath, you bring your own wrist to your mouth and extend your fangs.  
  
It was a swift motion, your fangs creating a gash on your wrist, just below your palm. You stared at him for a long while after that, forgetting the pain easily and letting the blood drip onto the white sheet, staining it a bright scarlet red.   
  
Then, when you snap out of your reverie, you finally bring your bloodied wrist over to his mouth, using your other hand to tip his head over so the blood would actually enter his system.   
  
Tick.   
  
Nothing is happening.   
  
Tock.   
  
Nothing is still happening.   
  
Tick.   
  
You feel him breathing, air coming out of his nose, warm against your hand.   
  
Tock.   
  
His hand twitches and color seemed to be coming back to his body.   
  
Tick.   
  
Suddenly his hand raised to keep your wrist in place and you can feel sharp needle like pins sinking into your skin. Feel it drain the blood from you.   
  
Tock.   
  
His eyes snapped open.


	16. Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We made it guys. We made it. 
> 
> First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who's stuck by and gave me such encouraging words even when I wasn't feeling all too good about my writing. Thank you for your lovely comments, I treasure each and every one of them. Thank you so much to all the readers out there, for taking the time out of your day to read a silly little fanfic I made. I wasn't entirely sure where this was going to go when I first started, but here we are now, at the end.
> 
> It's been a blast writing this whole fic and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope this ending is good enough for all of you and you where I took it, and I'm sorry if it's not- I know I'm a shitty author ;') But I do have plans in place for an epilogue, two actually, so you've got that to look forward to! Anyways, I hope, as always, that you enjoy this finale. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I hope to see you guys again in whatever I might make next! Who knows when that'll be though. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ((P.S. I might change a few minor things like music and such if I find something better than I have in place right now.

_I'll breathe you in,_

_And I'll hold you close,_

_And where you are is where I'll go,_

_With you, I come alive with you,_

    - [Come alive, Rachel Taylor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnPmiiBFbAk)

 

[Open your eyes.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuW0WesnG5M)

Breathe.

The birds are singing, the breeze ruffling the trees makes a soothing melody. But you're still not used to not hearing your heartbeat.

Breathe. You're alive.

He said that it's a sound that your usually tune out but once it's gone, you're made painfully aware of that fact. And here you are, thinking long and hard about it, a strange churning feeling happening inside your stomach. It feels strange not having a heartbeat anymore. It made you anxious.

But that's not the only thing you have to get used to.

Carefully, you slipped out of bed, noting that this isn't the usual scenery you've woken up to for the past seventeen years of your life. No, this was his room. And there's a very good reason why you're waking up in his bed again.

No, it's not because of sex.

You're wearing your crab pajamas with a matching t-shirt for Christ's sake. But you'll get to the reason why you've slept in the StriLalonde castle home instead of your own bed later.

For now, you stretched your arms over your head, listening to the satisfying sounds of your bones clicking into place. Then, you're up and about.

You pass by the mirror, and it still catches your attention. The glint of your silver eyes catching the natural light flooding inside the room brings your attention to it. You take a moment to look at yourself in the mirror, leaning forwards to get a better look.

Nothing much has changed. You're still you. With the same curly mess of a dark jet black hair, thick bushy eyebrows, chocolate skin complexion and deep eye bags under your eyes. You're still you.

Except for the painfully obvious glowing of your new set of silver irises.

He said it was normal. A side effect that made his own eyes as red as the blood he needs to survive. He told you that his eyes used to looked more like an auburn brown color, but when he made his transition, the colors became brighter and more saturated. The same thing happened to Rose and Dirk. Pale violet eyes turned into a vivid twilight like eyes, and boring amber changed to strikingly bright orange eyes.

While with you, dull grey eyes suddenly changed to a reflective like silver color. You're unsure how exactly you feel about the change and whether it fits your average looking face. He said you looked gorgeous, but he's biased, so you don't take his compliment seriously.

The color of your eyes brings back memories of that night.

[The night you died.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUXsKOkhoFM)

You had woken up abruptly with the feeling of something warm and thick in your mouth, only to realize that his wrist was pressed to your lips and that thick liquid flowing into your throat, was blood.

But before you freaked out about this new development, you had drank from him leisurely, admiring the sweet salt like flavor in your mouth. Iron was in your nose, filling your every senses, but that only drove you to sink your fangs deeper into his flesh to produce more blood.

It was so wonderful. It tasted like the best thing you've ever tasted in your whole life yet.

But when he had pulled away, you had snarled and tried to catch his arm back only to find yourself feeling weak and fatigued.

You remember looking up at him with wide eyed terror as the realization of what you've just done sinks into your mind. You feel the dull ache of your jaws, and when you licked your teeth, your heart skips at the feeling of sharp fangs slowly retracting.

But even without his shades, you can tell the expression he wore. One of pure bliss, astonishment, and adoration.

"What did you do to me?" You had managed to breathe out once you finally got your mouth to move and form the words. Your tone may have been harsh and accusing, but you had every right to be. His face immediately falls to one of guilt, shifting his head just a fraction to tell you that he's not looking at you anymore.

You looked frantically around yourself when you received no answer. You were in a white hospital gown with a thin sheet of white blanket covering your lower half. The room was dark, the only light coming from a small lamp beside your hospital bed. But aside from the fact that you're in a hospital, clearly a patient, you had no idea what was happening or why you had just been sucking blood off of your boyfriend and actually *enjoyed* the experience.

Of course, it was easy to put two and two together. He turned you. But the question lingers.

What had happened? How had he turned you? And _why_?

"I'm sorry." He spoke up after a long while all while you had an internal freak out. You turned your attention back to him to find that he's got his hands on his face, furiously wiping away at tears, expensive shades sitting atop his head. "I'm so fucking selfish. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Karkat." Your heart ached to her a his voice crack at your name.

"Just... explain to me what happened." You had reached your hand out and gripped his in yours. "What happened?"

His next words felt like a punch to the your guts. You actually feel like you got winded from it, despite there being no physical cause.

"You died."

Suddenly, you're acutely aware of the room surrounding you. Every little noise filling your ears, the low hum of the machines around you, the dripping of the IV flowing into your veins...

But what troubled you was the lack of a rhythmic beating of a heart. From either of you.

"I'm sorry." He sobbed once more, but you're too stuck in your head to offer any more reassurances.

You had died.

That was a lot to take in. And you're not sure you were ready to deal with it yet, so you shoved the terrifying thought as far away from you as you can. You're not dealing with it.

That's when you felt the strange feeling of being numb.

It was different this time though. You've felt depressingly numb before, done stupid things in your reverie, but this was very different from how it used to be before. This time, you just felt utterly empty. Like you've been hollowed out completely and there's nothing left inside you.

Like you don't care. You don't want of care.

Rose's words hits you like a truck right then and there.

This must be the humanity switch she's mentioned. The feeling like you can do anything, absolutely anything at all, and get away with it. So, you force yourself out of it, trying to fill yourself with emotion. This was easy enough when your eyes landed back on Dave.

Dave, who decided that he can't move on without you - not without having to turn off his own humanity. 'Not Dealing' is a perfect word that describes the feeling of switching off your humanity.

So... that's the crisis he's had to face twice before. And a third time if he hadn't done this.

But you're hit with another truck in the form of a question.

Do you really want to be a vampire?

Not like you have a choice anymore. But answering this question directly leads to the answer as to how you even feel about being forced into this without a choice. Since you were too busy being dead and all

Do you really want to continue living like this? With everything you've heard from Rose and Dave himself?

It'll help you empathize with him more easily, when you're going through it too. But... You don't have to necessarily do it alone. You've got Dave. You’ve got the others to back you up as well and help you through the transition.

So.

How do you really feel about this change?

You feel anger. For not being given choice in this, for Dave being selfish. It wasn’t fair to your friends that died while you get a second chance purely because of a supernatural creature to feel affectionate for you. It wasn’t fair and you should be dead. You don’t deserve this. After everything that happened at the warehouse, you don’t deserve to feel happiness while knowing the steep price paid for it.

You look towards Dave once more, who's still vulnerable crying in front of you. Hiccupping and sobbing and a general _mess_. You’ve never seen him like this before. He trusts you so much to let his walls crumble so easily as to show such emotions on his face. Even after everything you've done, everything that's happened. Your heart aches in that familiar feeling.

Just looking at him… Makes your heart melt. Because now you know the pain he has to go through personally, and it’s hard. Afterall, he lost his sister as well. You try to imagine the pain he’s had to go through before you. And somehow, you feel responsible; Rose warned you exactly about this very same thing from happening.

You don’t deserve this yet you feel responsible. So where does this leave you?

"Dave." You had called out his name, but when he doesn't respond, you take it upon yourself to pull him down, bringing your lips against his. He was soft.

You've always been a bit of a control freak. You liked having choice, and feeling like you've got some semblance of control over what happens in your life.

But you died.

And you suppose, a your humanity died along with it when it happened. Having died changes a lot of your perspectives. While the old you would've been furious at having been thrusted into a life you're not sure you completely want, you're not that past self anymore.

Looking at the mirror now, you smile. That Karkat Vantas has died.

[You're someone new.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnX_wWgyn3w)

You're beginning again.

With a sigh, you pulled away from the mirror and looked around the room. Your things are already packed into a duffel bag. There's not much you'd really need. In fact, you're in the perfect state for travelling around. You've long since moved on from your mother's death for the house to hold you down anymore.

The bed is empty. You suppose everyone else is up and ready to go already. So, you changed out of your pj's, slipping on a plain white t-shirt and the same red hoodie from before. The one that spelled of pine and the outdoors after rain. You partnered it up with simple black jeans and your dark brown combat boots.

Once you're done, you grab your things and head downstairs, relishing in the feeling of the soft, oversized clothing clinging to your frame. Although the bag you carry would usually be heavy and make your arms and shoulders sore, you don't have to worry about humanly things like that anymore. Although, the additional strength is still something you're trying to cope with. And the speed too. You almost trip on your way down the stairs. Dave warned you about that before.

And much like you expected, the cars were already lined up outside, Jade's black truck already on, it's engines humming outside. You're also going to have to get used to the heightened senses thing too.

All around you is empty space. Somehow, Rose had gotten everything sold and sent off, but you suspect that compulsion had something to do with it. That's also another thing you've yet to try.

You head outside.

Everyone is still getting things packed up into the backs of the the two cars, but most of it seemed to be piled into the back of Harley's truck. Then again, there's not many inside it.

Dave is the first to notice your arrival, quick to pull his shades off and pocket them as he made his way towards you by the porch of the house. "Great, you're awake. I was just telling Rose that I was gonna go up and finally get you."

With a huff, you punch his shoulder, not bothering to hold your strength back. You let a satisfied smirk creep into your features at the flinch you got out of him. "Ow, man, what was that for?"

"Why didn't you wake me up, maggot brain?" You said in a teasing tone, his facial features slowly easing back to one you can only describe as relaxed.

He shrugged. "You looked like you were really enjoying your sleep, so I let you catch a few more zees before we had to absolutely go."

You take your duffel bag and backpack full of stuff off of your shoulders and shove them into his arms. He grinned sheepishly at you as you moved to join the others.

"Karkat, you're awake. That's good, we're just about done here before we have to head out on the road." Rose greeted you with a wave before diving back into arranging all the things in the back of the car's trunk as she spoke.

"We're still taking a short detour, right?" You questioned once more, worrying your lower lip. It was essential for you to do this to finalize your transition into everything else.

"Of course. We've got some time to spare." She said, punctuating this by lifting her gaze for a moment to meet your eyes and smiling softly. "We understand that this is important to you Karkat. And since you're joining us for the road trip, we might as well do you this one last favor."

Dirk tossed you a bag of blood with a straw, most likely pulled from the hospital's own reserves. You've got quite a hoard of them inside another bag, enough to probably last all of you the rest of the trip.

You made an appreciative sound at the snack given to you while Dirk simply nods with a signature Strider smirk on his face.

You use the pointed edge of the straw to stab into the plastic. Then, you're sipping the bag of blood like it's a normal juice box. This one tastes sweeter than you expected, but then again, blood type with an A always tends to be sweeter than normal to you. You have no idea why that is.

You smile at that and nod. Before long, the rest of you are piling into the cars, getting ready to finally get on the road. Dirk's driving the Lexus, with Rose sitting in the passenger seat, setting up the GPS to mount at the middle front of the dashboard. You've got the whole back seat to yourself. Except for the company of a few bouquets of flowers of course. Jade provided them like planned the day before.

Harley, John, Jake, and Jane pile into the truck. Soon enough, the two cars are pulling out of the driveway and onto dirt road, headed to the cemetery.

 

___x___

 

The cars got all lined out outside he graveyard, just beneath the uphill incline. Everyone slowly trickled out of the car, with you leading the way up to the run down cemetery. You lead back back towards the back of the cemetery where the new plots would be located at.

And predicatively enough, your gut clenches at the sight of new graves, especially ones with your friend's names on it.

You held the bouquets of flowers and laid them down respectively. A bunch of red roses with touches of baby's breath for Aradia Megido. A big sunflower in front of Sollux Captor's. And pink carnations and azaleas for Roxy Lalonde.

Each person's favorite flowers.

You stared in quiet silence at the graves that stood side by side, marble gleaming under the hot sun. Summer was creeping closer and closer.

There were other various flowers from many other people sitting along the patch of grass and against the gravestone itself, giving the drab limestones and marble tombs color and life. Just like how they were- full of life and happiness.

You clutched the last bouquet in your hands.

You waited a few minutes in front of every grave, everyone else behind paying their respects as well. You stand over Roxy's grave when Dave comes over to you, hands in his pockets, shades carefully hiding half his face once more. You raise an eyebrow at him.

He casually takes one of your hands, but you can feel it. The tremble in his finger tips as he holds your hand, intertwining your fingers together in order to stop the shake. You hold his hand and squeezed reassuringly.

The two of you stand there, looking over her grave in mutual silence.

Eventually, you tug his hand. He looked at you curiously at first, but you slowly lead him to your mother's grave. You set the flowers against her grave, letting go only for a moment to light the incense you always keep around. There's only a few more sticks left so you light all of them. This is going to be the last time go come here either way.

You smile slightly while you're crouching on the ground, pulling a hand on the surface of the gravestone. You trace the carving of your mother's name all the while.

"Hi mom." You start, muttering quietly. Dave is behind you, and you make sure your voice is only loud enough for only him to hear. "This Dave, mom. He's a big stupid dork, and he can be a real hard ass and a huge shit head sometimes." Dave makes an indignant noise at that, but you ignore him and press on. "But... he's good too. He's sweet and sappy sometimes, and he cares a lot about me, and I care a lot about him."

You paused here to glance up at him, grinning widely at the blush creeping along his neck to his face at the words you just spoke. Then, you turn back to the gravestone. "I wanted you to meet him, mom. I wanted to let you know that I'm in good hands. And that you shouldn't worry like you always did when you were here." You said quietly, eyes softening. "I'll be leaving, mom."

Your breath hitched as the words flowed out from your lips. You'll be leaving everything behind. But you know she wouldn't have stopped you from going after what you wanted. She would've insisted it, might've actually kicked you out of the house to get you to go after what you wanted. To get you to move on. So, you manage to smile, chest clenching at the warm hand on your shoulder.

You hadn't realized it, but there were tears in your eyes. Dave is looking down at you with a soft expression, shades away from his face and inside his pockets. You nod appreciatively at him before turning back to the gravestone, committing each crack and perfect imperfect to mind. You give it one last pat. "Goodbye mom."

With a sigh, you stand up. You listen to the sounds sounds of the birds chirping and singing their melodies to each other. For once, the sun was just warm enough to feel comfortable on your skin, unlike the burning heat it usually inflicts upon you on days like this. You could nap under the sun in these conditions.

When you hear soft footsteps on grass approaching you slowly, you turned to find Terezi in a bright teal t-shirt and black leggings with saturated red boots that reached to her knees. She smiled kindly at the two of you.

You can feel him stiffen beside you, so you took a step forward to her, keeping Dave behind you. "Rezi." You smiled fondly, and she reached up to wipe a tear from her eyes under those red glasses of hers.

"Fuck. I said I wasn't going to cry, damn it." She cursed softly to herself as more tears flowed from her eyes. You reached out to wrap your arms around her, patting her back softly as she cried grossly into your shoulders, hands covering her face.

When she eventually calmed down, you pulled away, keeping her at arms length. She sniffled, still grinning that sharp shark like grin of hers. "Thank you." You tell her sincerely, biting your lip when fresh tears rushed from her eyes at the words. But she keeps herself better collected this time aorund, laughing mirthlessly.

Terezi had promised to keep the knowledge of your existence from her parents, and even managed to stop Vriska and Eridan from tatting to her own parents. Especially now that you're apart of the vampires, being one yourself. She's still keeping them at bay as much as she can, giving you the time you needed to pack up and leave.

The crew disbanded a little after the fight. Everyone had been too grief stricken to continue, most people unable to take the consequence of what had transpired. You don't blame them, it was hard to take. And it'll still take some time for you to recover from the deaths yourself. But you made a promise not to take it out on yourself. Dave will keep watch over you to make sure you don't hate yourself enough to hurt yourself once again. He'll take good care of you.

"Just keep in touch, you big oaf." She giggled, voice as high and shrill as you remember, although tinged with sadness.

You grinned at her, fishing your phone from your back jean pocket and opening it up to pull her contact information up for her. Then, you wave it around in your hand. "Of course. I'll update you of our exploits." You tell her and she laughed.

Then, she pulled you into a tight hug, crushing you with her strength. You make an 'oof' noise and wrap your own arms around her. "Take care of yourself, okay? Don't get caught." She muttered into your ears and you nod into her shoulder.

And then,- she lets go of you. She turned to Dave, punching his shoulder lightly and playfully, grinning. "Take care of Karkat. I'm entrusting him to you so you better not break his heart or I am going to personally hunt you down myself and rip your heart out of your rib cage." She said playfully, but you know she's fully willing to go through with that plan if Dave did do something to hurt you in anyway.

You're sure he won't. Not even in the centuries to come.

"Jesus, Pyrope. You sound like his mom." He teased back, lips quirking up in a half smile. She punched his shoulder again, harder this time. Enough to make him stumble backwards a bit before catching his balance once again.

"'Corse. I practically took care of this little fucker all throughout his childhood. He's a real crybaby and I wasn't about to let any bullies get to him." She said with conviction, pushing you a little to make her point. You rolled your eyes, but smile anyway.

"I promise I'll take care of him. I love him." Dave quietly murmurs, licking his lips as a blush crept across his cheeks at the declaration. You laugh lightly at his expense, getting you a glare from his way.

"You better." She retorts, crossing her arms and smiling widely. "Anyways, I know you guys need to go. And I still need to look after the two homicidal jackasses in my custody. We're both very busy, so I'll let you guys go on your way."

You give your best friend one final hug before you gather your bearings and head back to the car.

Each person goes back to their respective places in the car. The inside of the car smells of flowers, and buttercup incense as you pulled away from the cemetery and started on the road to who knows where.

Dave reached out and intertwined your fingers around his own.

Yeah.

You've never felt more alive than you do now.


End file.
